Multi-stage transmission

ABSTRACT

A multistage transmission with a drive shaft ( 3 ) is connected with a shiftable primary planetary gear set ( 10 ), having an output shaft ( 4 ), connected with a shiftable principal planetary gear set ( 20 ) and being provided with a plurality of shifting elements (A to F), via selective closings of at least six forward gear stages, without group shifting, can be attained. One output element of the primary planetary gear set ( 10 ), via a first shifting element (A), can be connected with a first input element of the principal planetary gear set ( 20 ) and via a second shifting element (B) can be connected with a second input element of the principal planetary gear set ( 20 ). The input drive shaft ( 3 ) is, via a fifth shifting element (E), connectable with a third input element of the principal planetary gear set ( 20 ). Advantageously, a sun gear ( 11 ) of the primary planetary gear set ( 10 ) is fixed in location, via a sixth shiftable element placed on that side of the primary planetary gear set ( 10 ) which is remote from the principal planetary gear set ( 20 ). The primary planetary gear set ( 10 ) is designed as a plus-transmission with inner and outer planet gears ( 12, 13 ), the spiders thereof being bound together.

The present invention concerns a multistage transmission in accordancewith the principal concept of claim 1.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,352 A, there is made known a plurality ofschematic drawings and descriptions for automatic transmissions with onenon-shiftable primary gear set followed by one after gear set, withwhich, by selective closure of five shifting elements, six forward gearstages can be achieved without group shifting. The after gear set isdesigned as a shiftable two-spider, four shaft, gear train with twoconnected planetary gear sets. The non-shiftable primary gear set can bebuilt as a single spider planetary gear set or alternately as a forwardpower transmission means with two spur-gear pairs of differentlydetermined ratios, which operate as a reducing gear train. One elementof the primary gear set is bound securely to the transmission housing.The primary gear set is driven at the input speed of rotation of thetransmission and produces a reduced output rotational speed. Thisreduced output rotational speed is transferred by two shifting elementsto two different elements of the after gear set. Additionally, a thirdelement of the after gear set can be directly driven by an additionalclutch at the transmission input speed of rotation.

A six-gear stage automatic transmission 6HP26, which is derived by theapplicant according to a concept from U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,352 A isdescribed in, Prof. Dr. P. Tenberg: E-Automat—Automatic Transmissionwith Esprit, VDI Report No. 1610, 2001, pages 455 to 479. Relying on thebasis of this report, Prof. Dr. Tenberg proposes to design the sun gearof the originally non shiftable, primary planetary gear set, to beactually shiftable by means of an additional brake. When this isaccomplished, then, the now shiftable primary planetary gear set isdesigned, unchanged, as a so-called “minus-gearing”, the internal gearof which is driven at the input drive shaft speed of rotation and thespider thereof forms its output element. In regard to the “minustransmission”, what is to be understood is a simple planetary gear setwith a negative fixed gear ratio. The ratio of the speeds of rotation ofthe internal gear and the sun gear, when the planet gear holder isfixed, is negative. The additional brake can be employed as an integralstartup shifting element in the transmission. In accordance withcorresponding toothing design, even seven forward stages can beprovided, with a gear spread equivalent to that of a basic transmission,disadvantaged however, with an unfavorable succession of gear stages.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,013 A discloses a gear train schematic of anautomatic transmission, with six forward stages. This transmission hasone primary gear set designed as a single spider planetary gear set andone drive gear train consisting of two single spider planetary gear setscoupled together. Two of the three input elements of the second drivegear sets are, in this arrangement, connected together. The primary gearset is designed as a so-called “plus gear drive” with double planetarygear sets, the spiders of which are connected together and operate up tothe sixth stage, in which it then revolves as a piece, serving as areducing gear set. As far as “plus gear drive” is concerned, what ismeant thereby is a simple planetary transmission with a positive fixedgear ratio. Further, the ratio of the speed of rotation of the internalgear and the sun gear is also positive during the imagined fixed spider.The sun gear of the primary gear is immobilized by means of a brakeabutting the transmission housing. This brake is set spatially betweenthe primary gear set and the after gear train. The primary gear set isdriven at the speed of rotation of the input drive shaft by means of itscoupled spider, its output drive is executed by means of the internalgear. The output speed of rotation of the following gear set can betransmitted by two clutches onto two different input elements of thefollowing gear set, whereby these two different input elements of thefollowing gear set, together with an additional clutch can be directlyconnected to run at the transmission input drive shaft speed ofrotation. This additional clutch is placed on that side of the primarygear set which is remote from the subsequent gear set. Because ofspatial positioning of the brake, by means of which the sun gear of theprimary gear set is fixed, and the spatial placement of the clutch, bymeans of which the transmission input speed of rotation can transferredto the following gear set, a guide for input drive and output drive ofthe primary gearing is created. In this way, the torque of the primarygear set is directed outwardly and radially by its internal gear. Thatis to say, the drive of the primary gear set completely encompasses it.Further, the output drive of the primary gear set is directed centrallythrough the sun gear of the primary gear set to the input elements whichare constructed as external disk carriers of the two clutches. The gearset concept of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,013 A additionally requiresseveral group shiftings for the shifting of the six forward stages.

Thus, the purpose of the invention is to develop further, from the citedstate of the technology, a multistage transmission, with at least sixforward gear stages, without group shifting, wherein, one shiftingelement of the multistage transmission is to be an integrated startupshifting element, wherein the whole is made without excessive expense inconstruction, with a favorable stage succession, and an increased gearspread.

This purpose is achieved by a multistage transmission with the featuresof the principal claim and developments thereof are made evident in thesubordinate claims.

Using as a base, the generic state of the technology as set forth byProf. Dr. P. Tenberge, the multistage transmission possesses a shiftableprimary planetary gear set on a multi-membered, shiftable, principalplanetary gear set, which, for example, is designed as a double spider,four shaft, planetary gear set. The principal planetary gear setencompasses at least three input elements, which are independent of oneanother. One input element of the principal planetary gear set can beconnected to an input drive shaft of the transmission by means of ashifting element. The other two input elements of the principalplanetary gear set are connectable respectively, to an output element ofthe primary planetary gear set by means of an additional shiftingelement.

Contrary to the state of the technology of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,013,the input element of the principal planetary gear set which is bound tothe transmission input drive shaft, can never be connected to the outputelement of the primary planetary gear set.

Again, different from the generic transmission schematic as proposed byProf. Dr. P. Tenberge, the primary planetary gear set is designed as ashiftable plus-gear set with positive fixed-gear ratio, with doubleplanetary gears, the spiders of which are bound together. An element ofthe primary planetary gear set can be fixed in position by means of abrake or a shaft or hub assembly anchored to the transmission housing.The brake is advantageously on that side of the primary planetary gearset remote from the principal planetary gear set.

By means of a corresponding shifting logic of a total of six shiftingelements, at least six forward gear stages can be achieved without groupshifting. In the case of a change of stage from one gear position to thenext successive, higher or lower gear, then by the immediately activatedshifting element, respectively, only one shifting element is opened andanother shifting element is closed.

The brake, by which the one element of the primary planetary gear set ismade immobile, can be provided as a startup shifting element, whereby,advantageously, any additional startup element, for example, ahydrodynamic torque converter, would no longer be required. A placementof a brake of large diameter enables, in an advantageous manner, a hightorque transmitting capability in spite of the need for restricted axialconstruction space. Obviously, it is possible, that the inventedmultistage transmission can nevertheless be combined with other,separate startup elements of optional types.

The design of the primary planetary gear set calls for a plus-gear set,and makes possible in an advantageous manner, a greater gear spread evenwith an unchanged, favorable succession of stages, this being anadvantage which is contrary to the conventional state of the technology.

The spatial placement of the brake on that side of the primary planetarygear set which is remote from the principal planetary gear set, by meansof which an element of the primary planetary gear set is made fast,gives rise to a constructive, simple and space-saving encapsulation ofthe components. A corresponding example is, that the rotating diskcarrier of the brake can be rotationally carried on a projection of atransmission housing wall, which said projection could be preliminarilyinstalled. In other words, the disk carrier is borne on a hub assemblywhich is already integral with the transmission housing wall. Thepressure medium feed to the brake can, in a very simple way, beintroduced through this said hub assembly or even be conducted inchannels integrally within the housing wall.

A further essentially economic advantage, is the possibility of beingable to make multiple use of many of the currently availablemanufactured apparatuses of a basic transmission upon which the inventeddevelopment has been based. In addition, the invented changes concernonly input side components of the transmission.

In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the proposal has beenmade, to drive at the input shaft speed of rotation the primaryplanetary gear set by means of its coupled spider. At the same time theinternal gear of the primary planetary gear set can be connected withthe input elements of the two clutches, by means of which the outputspeed of rotation of the primary planetary gear set can be communicatedto the principal planetary gear set. With this arrangement, the sun gearof the primary planetary gear set can be immobilized.

In another embodiment of the invention, the proposal is to drive theshiftable, primary, planetary gear set by its sun gear at the speed ofrotation of the input shaft of the transmission and to connect theinternal gear thereof, as an output element of the primary planetarygear set, with the input element of the two clutches, by which theoutput speed of rotation of the primary planetary gear set can betransmitted to the principal planetary gear set. With this arrangement,the coupled spiders of the primary planetary gear set can be madeimmovable.

The principal planetary gear set can, for example, be designed as aRavigneaux gear set, which is a well known, very compact form of a twospider, four shaft gear set. Obviously, the primary planetary gear set,which is designed as a plus-gear set, can be placed in combination withother planetary gear set assemblies, which at least possess three inputelements which are not coupled together.

In the following, the invention will be more closely described with theaid of the drawing, namely FIG. 1 to FIG. 35. There is shown in:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic view of a transmission of a primaryplanetary gear set variant;

FIGS. 2 (2 a, 2 b) show two shifting schematics of the transmission inaccordance with FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a primary component arrangement variant of the transmission inaccordance with FIG. 1, wherein the input and output shafts are coaxial;

FIG. 4 is a detailed design of the component arrangement per FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a variant embodiment example for the detailed construction ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a second component arrangement variant of the transmission inaccordance with FIG. 1, wherein the input and output drive shafts arecoaxial;

FIG. 7 is a presentation of the second component arrangement variant inaccordance with FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a third component arrangement variant of the transmission inaccordance with FIG. 1, wherein the input and output drive shafts arecoaxial;

FIG. 9 is a fourth component arrangement variant of the transmission inaccordance with FIG. 1, wherein the input and output drive shafts areaxially parallel;

FIG. 10 is a fifth component arrangement variant of the transmission inaccordance with FIG. 1, wherein the input and output drive shafts areaxially parallel;

FIGS. 11 and 12 is a forward and a second embodiment of the fifthcomponent arrangement in accordance with FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a sixth component arrangement variant of the transmission inaccordance with FIG. 1, wherein the input and output drive shafts areaxially parallel;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are a forward and a second embodiment of the sixthcomponent arrangement variant in accordance with FIG. 13;

FIGS. 16 to 33 are a seventh up to a twenty-fourth component arrangementof the transmission in accordance with FIG. 1, wherein the input and theoutput shafts are axially parallel;

FIG. 34 is an exemplary transmission schematic view of a secondprimary-planetary gear set variant; and

FIG. 35 is a schematic view of the transmission in accordance with FIG.34.

In all the Figures, the reference numbers of comparative components areused in the same manner. FIGS. 1 to 33 treat the original, inventedprimary planetary gear set variant, by means of which, the primaryplanetary gear set is driven by its coupled spider, and its internalgear can be connected to the principal planetary gear set and the sungear of the primary planetary gear set remains still.

FIG. 1 now shows an exemplary transmission scheme of the first invented,primary planetary gear set variant. The motor driven shaft 1 isdesignated with the reference number 1, the motor being, for example, aninternal combustion engine. The subject multistage transmission isdriven by being coupled to this motor and said motor shaft 1. On thegrounds of vibratory interference, this coupling is, in detail, betweenthe motor shaft 1 and a conventional torsion damper 2, with theinterpositioning therebetween of an input drive shaft 3 rotating at theinput speed n_(ein). As an alternate, the torsion damper 2 can also bereplaced, for example, by a double mass flywheel. A rotating outputdrive shaft of the transmission, which rotates at a transmission outputspeed of rotation, namely n_(ab), has the reference number 4. Thetransmission encompasses a primary planetary gear set, which, inaccordance with the invention, serves as a plus-transmission with apositive fixed-gear set as well as a shiftable principal planetary gearset 20, which, for example is designed as a two spider, four shaft gearset made in the Ravigneaux style. There are, all together, six shiftingelements A to F.

The primary planetary gear set 10, which is also designated as RS1,includes a sun gear 11, inner and outer planet gears 12 and 13, as wellas an internal gear 14. A spider 15 of the inner planet gear 12 and aspider 16 of the outer planet gear 13 are bound together. The drivingshaft 3 is bound to these coupled spiders 15, 16, which can be spatiallyseen on the side of the primary planetary gear set 10 which is remotefrom the motor shaft 1 and therefore also remote from the motor. Theinternal gear 14 forms the output element of the primary planetary gearset 10. The sun gear 11 is made motionless, by means of a sixth shiftingelement F, which is designed as a brake and which brake can abut againsta transmission wall.

The principal planetary gear set 20 encompasses two gear sets RS2 andRS3. The small sun gear 21 and the forward planet gears 23 are assignedto the gear set RS2. The large sun gear 22 and the principal planetarygears 20 are assigned to the gear set 24. A common internal gear isdesignated 27. A spider 25 of the forward planet gears 23 and spider 26of the after planet gears 24 are rigidly connected together. Theinternal gear 27 is bound to the output shaft 4. The coupled spiders 25,26 are, first, affixed to a third shaft 5 and by means of this thirdshaft 5 and the fifth shifting element E, which serves as a clutch, canbe connected to the input drive shaft 3 and second, the spiders areaffixed by means of the fourth shifting element D, serving as brake andwhich can immovably abut the housing 30 of the transmission. The smallsun gear 21 of the principal planetary gear set 20 is connected to afirst sun shaft 6 and the first shifting element A, which is designed asa clutch, can be affixed to the internal gear 14 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10. the large sun gear 22 of the principal planetarygear set 20 is first connected with a second sun shaft 7 and, by meansof the second shaft 7 and the second shifting element B, serving as aclutch, can be affixed to the internal gear 14 of the primary planetarygear set 10, and second, the shifting element C, which is designed as abrake, can be affixed to the transmission housing 30.

The design in FIG. 1 of the principal planetary gear 20 as a Ravigneauxgear set is to be regarded as an example. The following gear set canalso be constructed from other combinations of individual planetary gearsets. The essential point is, that an output speed of rotation n_(vs) ofthe primary planetary gear set 10, can be transmitted by means of twoshifting elements (here, these being clutches A and B) onto twodifferent, input elements, which are not bound together, of theprincipal planetary gear set, and that the transmission input speed ofrotation n_(ein), by means of an additional shifting element (here,clutch E) can be transferred to a third free input element of theprincipal planetary gear set. The coaxial arrangement of input drive,primary planetary gear set and the principal planetary gear set is to beregarded, likewise, as exemplary. Obviously, the invented multistagetransmission can also possess a spur gearing between the output elementof the principal planetary gear set and the output shaft 4, and/orpossess an angular or parallel axis connection between the forward andthe principal planetary gear sets.

Likewise, to be regarded as exemplary, is the design of the brakes C andD, shown in FIG. 1 and following figures, as disk brakes. Obviously itis possible that the brake C and/or the brake D can also be made as bandbrakes, with the thereto attributable advantage of a very small, radialspace requirement.

In the proposed embodiment example as shown in FIG. 1, the sixthshifting element F is spatially located between a (not shown) motor andthe primary planetary gear set 10. This element F is further bordering,motor sided, on the torsion damper 2, and on the transmission side,proximal to the primary planetary gear set 10. The shifting elements Ato E are spatially placed between the primary planetary gear set 10 andthe principal planetary gear set 20. Under these circumstances, theclutch E borders directly against the primary planetary gear set 10. Thecoupled spiders 15, 16 of the primary planetary gear set 10 are bound toan outer disk carrier 70 of the clutch E. The disks 71 of the clutch E,in this illustrated example, are first, arranged to be of the samediameter as that of the internal gear 14 of the primary planetary gearset 10, and second, to be restricted to a smaller diameter than that ofthe disks 41 of clutch A, which lie in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20 and proximal to the clutch E. The output drive ofthe primary planetary gear set 10 is to be seen being conducted radiallyabove the clutch E to an outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A. Theouter disk carrier 40 of the clutch A, in turn, is bound to an outerdisk carrier 60 of the clutch B, the disks 61 of which, seen in thedirection of the principal planetary gear set 20 connect directly withthe disks 41 of the clutch A.

The placement of the clutch E radially below the clutches A, B enablesboth a savings in length of construction of the clutch E with the leastpossible number of disks, while maintaining assured transmissioncapability of the drive torque introduced by the motor shaft 1, as wellas a length-saving design of the clutches A, B, along with, again, theleast possible number of disks with maintaining an assured transmissioncapability of the augmented (in most transmissions) input drive torquetransferred by the primary planetary gear set 10. The design of theinput elements of both clutches A and B as outer disk carriers 40, 60permits an advantageously simple construction of a common component. Theplacement of the brakes C and D, which connect themselves in thedirection of the clutch B, when considered in relation to the previouslydescribed placement of the clutches A, B and E gives rise, all in all,to a very compact, length-sparing construction of the transmission.

The inner disk carriers 72, 42 and 62 of the clutches E, A, and B are,respectively, directed centrally inward, whereby in the inner diskcarrier 72 of the clutch E becomes bound to the third shaft 5 which runscentrally in the middle of the transmission. The inner disk carrier 42of the clutch A is bound to the first sun gear shaft 6, which runsradially above the third shaft 5. The inner disk carrier 62 of theclutch B is bound to the third sun shaft 7, which runs radially abovethe first sun gear shaft 6. The third shaft 5 and the two sun gears 6,7, are also coaxial with one another and are placed directly above eachother. In the illustrated embodiment, the gears 6, 7 are also coaxialwith input drive shaft 3 and output drive shaft 4. The third shaft 5 isbound to the coupled spiders 25, 26 of the principal planetary gear set20, which is of the Ravigneaux design, serving as the third inputelement thereof. This connection is made on that side of the principalplanetary gear set 20, which is remote from the primary planetary gearset 10. In this case, the third shaft 5 is conducted centrally andpenetratively through the principal planetary gear set 20. The large sungear 22 of the principal planetary gear set 20 is on that side of theprincipal planetary gear set 20 which is proximal to the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and—as a second input element of the principalplanetary gear set 20—is bound with the second sun shaft 7. The firstsun shaft 6 is coaxial with the third shaft 5, and centrally within theprincipal planetary gear set 20 up to its small sun gear 21, and boundto this said sun gear 21, serving as a first input element of theprincipal planetary gear set 20.

The spatial placement of the brake F on that side of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 which is remote from the principal planetary gearset 20, enables, in an advantageous manner, a constructively simple andspace saving encapsulation of additional elements which allow the sixthgear stage, as compared to a basic transmission, to possess only fiveshifting elements. In the presented embodiment example, an outer diskcarrier 80 of the clutch F affixes itself in or on an axial projection33 integral with a transmission wall 31. The axial projection can alsobe constructed as a separate component, which is then securely bound tothe transmission housing wall 31, i.e., to the transmission housing 30.An inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F extends itself radially in thedirection of the input drive shaft 3 up to a sun gear 85 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10, which said gear set is bearingly carried on theinput drive shaft 3 and is connected, by means of the inner disk carrier82 with the sun gear 11 of the primary planetary gear set 10. In anotherembodiment, of the placement of the rotating inner disk carrier 82, itis possible make a provision, that this finds its rotational bearingdirectly on a projection 33 from the transmission housing wall 31, thatis to say, to be situated on a hub assembly protruding from the wall. Inthe depicted example, is shown a servo apparatus 83 for the activationof the brake F, spatially located between the inner disc carrier 82 andthe sun gear 11, i.e., the inner planet gear 12 of the primary planetarygear set 10. The feed of pressurized medium to the servo apparatus 83 ofthe brake F can, in a simple way, be integrated into the projection,i.e., hub assembly, 33 or else be placed directly in the transmissionhousing wall 31.

The placement of the brake F on a relatively small diameter, requiresfor torque transfer-capability a relatively large number of disks andtherewith a relative lengthily constructed assembly of the brake F.However, in an advantageous manner, the torsion damper 2 is locatedabove the cylindrical projection 33 of the housing wall 31, thus alsobeing above the brake F and in this way the available constructive spaceunderneath the torsion damper 2 is put to an advantageous use.

An input speed of rotation n_(ein) of the input drive shaft 3, by meansof selective closing of the shifting elements A to F is so transmittedby means of a drive shaft 4, wherein shaft 4 has a speed of rotation ofn_(ab), that at least six forward gear stages are acquired, without agroup shift. That is to say, that in the case of a shift change from anexisting gear stage into a successively following higher gear stage, orinto the successively next following lower gear stage, respectively,thus only one shifting element need be opened and another shiftingelement need be closed. In FIG. 2A is to be found a first shifting logicof the multistage transmission in accordance with FIG. 1, with, intotal, seven forward gear stages, as well as the thereto belongingratios, gear stages and total gear spread. Likewise presented are thestationary ratios of the individual gear sets RS1, RS2, RS3.Advantageously compared to the Tenberge-proposedseven-stage-transmission, especially, the spread is clearly increased.Thereby the attained stage stepping is in harmony. The spread of thegear stages from the first into the second gear is, conversely to thatof the Tenberge proposed seven-stage-transmission, is not as large, andthereby, also more effective. The fifth stage is optimally designed inefficiency level as a direct gear stage.

By means of a simple omission of the direct gear stage, it is possibleto operate the multistage transmission of FIG. 1 also as anadvantageously stepped six-stage-transmission. In FIG. 2B thecorresponding second shifting logic is shown in a table, as well asthereto corresponding ratio and gear stage steps and—as compared to thefirst logic of FIG. 2A, the spread is unchanged.

As may be inferred from the shift logic in FIG. 2A as well as 2B, thebrake F can be provided as a startup element of the multistagetransmission. The reason for this is, that the brake F is in engagementwith the relevant gears for startup in both travel directions, i.e.,forward gear first to fourth, as well as reverse gear. In this way, anadditional startup element, for instance, a torque converter can beeliminated.

FIG. 3 shows a first component assembly variant of the multistagetransmission in accordance with FIG. 1 with a coaxial input and outputdrive. Compared to the proposed component assembly of FIG. 1, inparticular, the assembly of the shifting elements F, A and B have beenmodified. Also altered is the design of the input and output gearelements of the shifting elements A and B, by means of which, the outputspeed of rotation, n_(vs) of the primary planetary gear set 10 on thefirst and second input elements—the small and the large sun gear 21, 22remain unchanged in the depicted example—of the principal planetary gearset 20 can be transmitted. The design of the input drive and the outputdrive of the multistage transmission correspond to those designs shownin FIG. 1.

As may be seen in FIG. 3, the brake F remains without change on thatside of the primary planetary gear set 10 remote from the principalplanetary gear set 20 and is adjacent to the transmission housing wall31. However, brake F is now at the greatest possible diameter directlyon the outer diameter of the transmission housing 30, directly on theouter diameter of the transmission housing 30 and, in a radialdirection, at least partially above a cylindrical projection 33 of thetransmission housing wall 31, which extends itself axially in thedirection of the primary planetary gear set 10. In a simple manner, itis possible that the outer disk carrier 80 of the brake F can beintegrated into the transmission housing 30, whereby, in the axial spacebetween the transmission housing wall 31 and the inner disk carrier 82,there can be provided a servo apparatus 83 for the activation of thebrake F. Obviously, in this arrangement, the transmission housing wall31 can be designed as a part of the of the transmission housing 30 or asa separate interposed plate, securely bound to the transmission housing30. The inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F possesses a disk shapedsection 84, which is mounted centrally inward toward the interior and isbound to the sun gear 85 of the primary planetary gear set 10. This sungear 85 is connected to the sun gear 11 and is held, with bearings, inplace on the cylindrical projection 33 of the transmission wall 31,which said projection extends itself axially in the direction of theprimary planetary gear set 10. In the axial space between thetransmission housing wall 31 and the disk shaped section 84 of the innerdisk carrier 82 of the brake F, in a simple manner, individualcomponents of the servo apparatus 83 of the brake F can be placed. Forinstance, a respective element of the individual components could be areset spring 88 of a piston of the brake F. In an advantageously simplemanner, the feed line of the pressure medium for the activation of thebrake F can be by means of channels, designed especially for thatpurpose and which run within the transmission housing wall 31 and/orwithin the cylindrical projection 33 of the transmission housing wall31. A input drive shaft 3 of the multistage transmission can besupported in the cylindrical projection 33 of the transmission housingwall 31.

The input element of the first shifting element A is designed as anouter disk carrier 40, and, differing from the assembly in FIG. 1, nowshows itself bound to an inner disk carrier 62 of the clutch B, whichforms the input element of the second shifting element B. The clutch Ais adjacent, in the axial direction, to the brake F, whereby the disks41 of the clutch A are placed, at least partially, above the primaryplanetary gear set 10, and have a diameter, which is only very littleless than that of the disks 81 of the brake F. The disks 61 of theclutch B are to be found, in an axial direction between the disks 41 ofthe clutch A and the principal planetary gear set 20 and said disks 61have a diameter at least approaching that of the disks 41 of the clutchA.

The fifth shifting element E borders on the coupled spiders 15, 16 ofthe primary planetary gear set 10 and is located in the axial directionbetween primary planetary gear set 10 and the principal planetary gearset 20. The input element of the clutch E is designed as the outer diskcarrier 70. The inner disk carrier 72 of the clutch E is centrallydirected toward the transmission middle and is bound to the third shaft5. The third shaft 5, in turn, is—as shown in the assembly as per FIG.1—penetrates centrally through the principal planetary gear set 20 andon that side of the principal planetary gear set 20, which is remotefrom the primary planetary gear set 10 is bound to the spiders thereof,namely 25, 26 which are coupled thereto. Corresponding to the power flowconnection of the three clutches A, B and E, to the principal planetarygear set 20, the clutch E is spatially located underneath the clutches Aand B, in order in spite of making possible a greater diameter of thedisks 71, that a cylindrical section 46 of the output element of theclutch A which serves as the inner disk carrier 42 on the one hand, canrun at least approximately in an axial direction above the clutch E andbypass thereby the outer disk carrier 70, the disks 70 and inner diskcarrier 72 of the clutch E. Otherwise, the cylindrical section 46 of theoutput element of the clutch A runs, at least sectionally, in radialdirection underneath the clutch B and especially, again radially below acylindrical shaped section 64 of the input element of the clutch B,forms an inner disk carrier 62. Continuing, the cylindrical section 46subsequently is led above a disk shaped section 47, central to thetransmission mid-section up to the first sun shaft 6, which forms theconnection between the output element of the clutch A and the firstinput element of the principal planetary gear set 20, while runningcoaxially above the third shaft 5. In this way, the output element ofthe first shifting element A at least partially penetrates a clutchspace radially below the disks 61 of the second shifting element B.

A servo apparatus 43, for the activation of the clutch A, in anadvantageous way, is placed between the primary planetary gear set 10and the transmission housing wall 31, especially between the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and the disk shaped section 84 of the inner diskcarrier 82 of the clutch F. With the arrangement so situated, the inputelement of the clutch A, which serves in the depicted example as theouter disk carrier 40, possesses a disk shaped section 45, which runsdirectly along the disk shaped section 84 of the inner disk carrier 82of the brake F, centrally to the transmission mid-section, up to abearing section, which is placed on the sun shaft 85 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10. The disk shaped section 84 of the inner diskcarrier 82 is connected to the output of the primary planetary gear set10 by means of a disk shaped output element 17 of the internal gear 11.The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is, in this design,advantageously at least partially spatially located between this diskshaped section 45 of the input element of the clutch A and this diskshaped output element 17 of the internal gear 14. This arrangement ofthe servo apparatus 43, which can also exhibit a dynamic pressurecompensation for the clutch A, advantageously prevents an empty run of apiston space, that is to say, thus a pressure compensation space of theclutch A in its non-shifted condition, since the servo apparatus 43rotates continually at the output speed of rotation n_(vs) of theprimary planetary gear set 10. In this way, the shifting ease, upon arenewed shifting of the clutch A is improved, especially after a longeridle time in the non-shifted condition.

The output element of the clutch B is designed as an outside holder fordisks 60. A cylinder shaped section 66 of this output element of theclutch B extends itself in the direction of the principal planetary gearset 20. An at least partially disk shaped section 67 of the outputelement of the clutch B, which is connected to this said cylindricalshaped section 66, is bound by an inner disk carrier of the brake C andextends itself radially in the direction of the transmission mid-pointup to the second sun shaft 7, is connected to the first sun gear 6, andby means of this second sun shaft 7 is also connected to the principalplanetary gear set 20. Additionally, the second sun gear shaft 7 islocated by means of a support plate 35 spatially set between the brakesC and D and on the transmission housing 30. In the illustrated example,this support plate 35 is made as a separate component, which isconnected to the transmission housing 30. Obviously, it is possible thata one-piece design of the support plate 35 with the transmission housing30 can be provided.

A servo apparatus 63 for the activation of the clutch B is, for example,located axially, between the disks 61 of the clutch B and the principalplanetary gear set 20, preferably immediately bordering on the disk-likesection 47 of the output element of the clutch A, which section, forexample, is designed as an inner disk carrier 42 for the clutch A.

The servo apparatus 73, for the activation of the clutch E is, forexample, placed axially between the primary planetary gear set 10 andthe disks 71 of the clutch E, in particular, directly bordering on thecoupled spiders 15, 16 of the primary planetary gear set 10 on that sidethereof, which is proximal to the principal planetary gear set 20. In anadvantageous manner, a piston space of the servo apparatus 73 rotatesand an eventually available pressure compensation space of the clutch Elikewise continually rotates with the transmission input speed ofrotation n_(ein), whereby an unwanted empty run of the piston space andthe pressure compensation space of the clutch E in a non-shiftedcondition is prevented and the ease of shifting is improved. In anotherembodiment, it is possible that provision can be made that the servoapparatus of the clutch E could be placed on that side of the disks 71of the clutch E which is proximal to the principal planetary gear 20,and axially between the inner disk carrier 72 of the clutch E and thedisk shaped section 47 of the output element of the clutch A.

By means of this arrangement in FIG. 3 of the clutches F, A, B and E, inan advantageous manner, a very small length of construction—especiallythe least possible numbering of disks—of the four shifting elements F,A, B and E is achieved. The design of the input elements of the clutch Aas outer disk carrier 40 and of the input elements of the clutch B asinner disk carrier 62 makes possible an advantageously simple design ofthe torque directing connection points between these two input elements,since, for instance, a correspondingly designed element of the innerdisk carrier 62 is included in a disk-come-along of the outer diskcarrier 40 and is also axially secured in the outer disk carrier 56.

Regarding FIG. 4, which shows a portion of a transmission cross-sectionas an exemplary detail drawing, the component arrangement of the sixthshifting element F, in accordance with FIG. 3 need not be explained inany greater detail. In this, one—not shown—area of the transmissionhousing 30 proximal to the drive motor is placed an interposed plate 32which is screwed to the transmission housing 30, and said plate serveshere as an outer wall of the transmission housing. In the central partof the interposed plate 32, is included a cylindrically shaped hubassembly 34, which extends itself axially into the interior space of thetransmission housing 30 and is connected by screws to the interposedplate 32. The power connected drive shaft 3 of the (not shown) drivemotor of the multistage transmission runs centrally through theinterposed plate 32 and hub assembly 34 and is there supported onbearings. On the transmission side, the drive shaft 3 is connected withthe coupled spiders 15, 16 as an input element of the primary planetarygear set 10, as well as with the outer disk carrier 70, here serving asan input element of the clutch E, up to the servo apparatus 73 of saidclutch and not further indicated on the drawing. The torque conductingconnection of the primary planetary gear set 10 to the input drive shaft3 is done, in this arrangement, on that side of the primary planetarygear set 10 remote from the interposed plate 32, also on that sidethereof proximal to the (not shown) principal planetary gear set 20. Theinput drive shaft 3 runs thus centrally through the primary planetarygear set 10 and is connected to the coupled spiders 15, 16 of the planetgears 12, 13 of the primary planetary gear set 10. On that side of thecoupled spiders 15, 16 proximal to the interposed plate 32, the sun gear11 of the primary planetary gear set 10 is located on the drive shaft 3and connected with a—axial to the drive shaft 3—sun gear shaft 85 of theprimary planetary gear set 10. This sun gear shaft 85 is again radiallyand rotationally borne on a particularly designed cylindrical section ofthe hub assembly 34 and axially supported. Obviously, it is possiblethat the sun gear 11 and the sun gear shaft 85 can be made as aone-piece object.

The sixth shifting element F, designed as a brake, is placed borderingon the interposed plate 32. In this way, the outer disk carrier 80 ofthe brake F is designed as a separate component and placed on thelargest possible inner diameter of the transmission housing 30, directlybordering onto the interposed plate 32 and held secure against thetransmission housing with screw connections. In another embodiment, itcan be obviously provided, that the outer disk carrier 80 of the brake Fbe integrated into the transmission housing 30. The come-along toothingfor the outer disks of the brake F is then molded into the transmissionhousing 30. The servo-element of the brake F includes a piston 87 and areset spring 88. The piston 87 of brake F is directly contiguous to theinterposed plate 32. Thus, the piston 87, in the embodiment shown, isplaced to be axially movable in an annular space between a cylindricalsection of the outer disk carrier 80 and a cylindrical section of theinterposed plate 32 and is provided with sealing against these twocylindrical sections. This cylindrical section of the outer disk carrier80, this cylindrical section of the interposed plate 32, the piston 87and a somewhat recessed to the piston 87, perpendicular section of theinterposed plate 32, altogether form the piston space 90 for the brakeF. For the activation of the brake F, the piston space 90 can be loadedwith a pressure medium by means of a pressure medium channel 86. In thedescribed and illustrated example, this pressure medium channel 86 runswithin the interposed plate 32.

In another embodiment for the assembly of the piston 87 of the brake F,it is possible to also provide, that the interposed plate 32 possess anannular recess for the acceptance of the piston 87. Also, the interposedplate 32 can be made in two parts, with a disk-like, flat first plateand a second disk-like channel plate, whereby the outside diameter ofthe second channel plate simultaneously forms the inside diameter of thepiston space 90 of the brake F. Likewise, it is possible that acylindrical section of the hub assembly 34 which is contiguous to theinterposed plate 32 can form the inside diameter of the piston space 90of the brake F. In accordance with the design of the piston space 90,also in accordance with the spatial arrangement of the same in the areaof the interposed plate 32 and per the size thereof, it is possible thatthe pressure channel 86 can run inside of the hub assembly 34 to itsgoal, i.e., the piston space 90.

In the designed embodiment example the reset spring 88 of the piston 87is constructed as a plate spring and supports itself on a supportbinding 89 of the hub assembly 34. In another embodiment a separateddisk can be provided as an abutment apparatus for the reset spring 88.This would be inserted in a complementarily constructed groove of thehub assembly 34. Obviously it is possible that other constructivemeasures of the piston/reset-spring can be provided, for instance, ahelical spring could be used.

The inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F, which is placed radiallyunderneath the disks 81 of the brake F possesses at least apredominately disk shaped section 84, which borders in an axialdirection the interposed plate 32, that is, is contiguous with the resetspring 88, and is conducted centrally in the direction of the inputdrive shaft 3 up to the sun gear 85 of the primary planetary gear set10, with which it is connected. In this way, the inner disk carrier 82of the brake F is located on the hub assembly 34.

The disks 41 of the first shifting element A, which is designed as aclutch, is at least predominately located above the internal gear 14 ofthe primary planetary gear set 10. The outer disk carrier 40 forms theinput element of the clutch A, and the inner disk carrier 42 forms theoutput element thereof. On that side of the disks 41 distal from theinterposed plate 32, the outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A is boundto the (not shown) clutch B. Thereby, presented in FIG. 4 is principallythe cylindrical shaped section 64 of this input element of the clutch B.

The servo apparatus of the clutch A is placed spatially between thebrake F and the primary planetary gear set 10. This servo apparatusincludes a piston 48, a reset spring 49 for the piston 48, as well as abaffle plate 50 for a dynamic pressure compensation of the rotatingclutch A. The piston 48, in this arrangement, is placed pressure tight,and axially movable within a piston space 51 of the outer disk carrier40. In the interest of saving in length of assembly, the baffle plate 50is welded directly to the internal gear 14 of the primary planetary gearset 10 and sealed against the piston 48 of the clutch A, thus forming onthat side thereof, remote from the primary planetary gear set 10, apressure compensation space 52. The reset spring 49, which, for example,may be constructed in the form of a plate spring, supports itselfbetween correspondingly constructed, axial contact surfaces of thepiston 48 and the baffle plate 50. The feed of pressure medium to thepiston space 51 of the clutch A and to the pressure compensation space52 of the dynamic pressure compensation of the clutch A is done by meansof pressure medium channels, which run in the drive shaft 3, the hubassembly 34 and the sun shaft 85 of the primary planetary gear set 10.Both the piston space 51 as well as also the pressure compensation space52 of the clutch A are spatially situated between the clutch F, inparticular, the piston space 80, and the primary planetary gear set 10.In another embodiment, of the pressure compensation space 52, it ispossible that the baffle plate 50 can also be made in the conventionalmanner, as a separate disk, which, in an appropriate manner, is radiallyand axially affixed on the hub shaped section of the outer disk carrier40 which is carried on the sun gear shaft 85 of the primary planetarygear set 10. Also, other constructive measures of the pressure-resetspring of the clutch A could be provided, for instance a helical springpackage.

The input element of the clutch A, which is designed as an outer diskcarrier 40, which is bound with the internal gear 14 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10, possesses an at least partially, disk shapedsection 45 which—directly bordering on the disk shaped section 84 of theinner disk carrier 82 of the brake F—extends itself centrally in thedirection of the input drive shaft 3, up to a cylinder shaped bearingsection, which extends itself axially in the direction of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and is rotatable supported on the sun gear shaft85 of the primary planetary gear set 10. This cylindrical bearingsection defines at the same time, the inside diameter of the pistonspace 51 of the clutch A. The outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A, bymeans of this cylindrical bearing surface connected with a disk shapedoutput drive element 17, which is placed on that side of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 which is proximal to the interposed plate 32, andis connected to the internal gear 14 of the primary planetary gear set10. The feed for pressurized medium to the piston space 51 and thelubricating oil feed to the pressure compensation space 52 is carriedout by means of correspondingly designed borings of the input driveshaft 3, the hub assembly 34, which is affixed to the housing, and thesun gear 85 of the primary planetary gear set 10 and the cylindricalshaped bearing section of the outer disk carrier 40.

As may be seen in FIG. 4, the concern here is for the greatest possiblecompactness and space saving assembly of components from the sixthshifting element F, the first shifting element A and the primaryplanetary gear set 10.

Turning to FIG. 5, a detailed embodiment variant based on FIG. 4 isshown, with a graphic explanation of a modified spatial arrangement ofthe servo apparatus of the brake F. The brake F remains unchanged and isstill located radially at such a diameter that it locates itself abovethe hub assembly 34 and bordering the interposed plate 32 axially andcentrally, in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10, whichsaid plate is connected by screws to the transmission housing 30. Alsounchanged is a disk shaped section 84 of the inner disk carrier 82 ofthe brake F, spatially located underneath the disks 81 of the brake F,directly axially bordering and predominately parallel to the interposedplate 32 in the direction of input drive shaft 3 up to the sun gear 85of the primary planetary gear set 10, which—coaxial to the input driveshaft 3—is secured upon the hub assembly 34 and forms the torquetransmission connection between the disk shaped section 84 of the innerdisk carrier 82 and the sun gear 11 of the primary planetary gear set10. Likewise unchanged, the servo apparatus of the brake F embraces thepiston 87 and the reset spring 88 of the piston 87, which said springcould be, for example, made as a plate spring.

Differing from the exemplary detailed design as drawn in FIG. 4, theservo apparatus 83 of the brake F is now placed on that side of thedisks 81 of the brake F, which side is remote from the interposed plate32, which said plate 32 forms an outer wall of the transmission housing30 proximal to the drive motor. The servo apparatus of the brake F isnow, first, placed axially between the disks 81 of the brake F and theprimary planetary gear set 10, and second, is also axially locatedbetween the disks 81 of the brake F and the clutch A, especially being adirect neighbor to the servo apparatus of the clutch A, which isrepresented especially by piston 48 and piston space 51. Further, inthis assembly, the piston 87 of the brake F is placed within an annularrecess of the outer disk carrier 80 of the brake F. The piston space 90of the brake F is also integrated into the outer disk carrier 80 of thebrake F. Correspondingly, the pressure medium feed channel runs, forpressurized medium addition, into the piston space 90 within the outerdisk carrier 80.

FIG. 6 shows a second variant of the component arrangement for amultistage transmission in accordance with FIG. 1, again with coaxialplacement of input and output drives. As a difference from the componentarrangement as shown in FIG. 3, in FIG. 6 only the spatial arrangementof the first and second shifting elements A and B are switched in theiraxial direction.

The clutch B now borders, in axial direction, on the sixth shiftingelement F, which element is designed as a brake, whereby the servoapparatus 63 of the clutch B is at least predominately placed axiallybetween the brake F and the primary planetary gear set 10. Thisplacement is especially set axially between the servo apparatus 83 ofthe brake F, that is the disk shaped section 84 of the inner diskcarrier 82 of the brake F and the disk-like output drive element 17 ofthe internal gear 14 of the primary planetary gear set 10. The disk 61of the clutch B is placed at least approximately above the internal gear14 of the primary planetary gear set 10.

The input element of the clutch B is designed as an outer disk carrier60. One, at least extensive disk-like section 65 of this input elementof the clutch B directly borders in axial direction against the diskshaped section 84 of the inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F andextends itself radially in the direction of the center of thetransmission up to a cylindrical bearing section, which once again isplaced on the sun gear shaft 85 of the primary planetary gear set 10. Bymeans of this cylindrical bearing section, the outer disk carrier 60 isbound to the disk-like output element 17 of the internal gear 14, whichsaid element 17 forms the output element of the primary planetary gearset 10. Thus, the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B is at leastpartially directly between the disk-like section 65 of the input elementof the clutch B and the disk-like output element 17 of the internal gear14. Obviously, it is possible that the servo apparatus 63 of the clutchB, besides being a device for the activation of the disks 62, can alsoprovide dynamic pressure compensation for the clutch B.

The arrangement of the servo apparatus 63, of the clutch B, carried outin this way, prevents, in an advantageous manner, an empty run of theclutch space, that is to say, the pressure compensation of the clutch B,in the non-engaged condition thereof. This is because the servoapparatus 63 is always run with the rotational speed of the outputn_(vs) of the primary planetary gear set 10. In this way, the shiftingcomfort upon a reshift of the clutch B is improved, especially after alengthy idle time in a non-engaged condition.

The output element of the clutch B is designed as an inner disk carrier62, with a cylindrical section 66, which extends itself axially in thedirection of the principal planetary gear set 20 and bypasses the clutchA as well as the disks 41 of the clutch A, and connects with an at leastpartially disk shaped section 67, which connects itself onto thecylindrical section 66 and is connected with an inner disk carrier 102of the brake C and the second sun shaft 7.

The clutch A is placed between the primary planetary gear set 10 and theprincipal planetary gear set 20, whereby the disks 41 of the clutch Aare contiguous in an axial direction with primary planetary gear set 10and also with the disks 61 of the clutch B. Relative to the clutch E,which likewise borders on the primary planetary gear set 10, againbetween the primary planetary gear set 10 and the principal planetarygear set 20, the disks 41 of the clutch A are at least partiallyradially above the disks 71 of the clutch E.

The input element of the clutch A is designed as an inner disk carrier42 and is directly bound to the internal gear 14, serving as an outputelement for the primary planetary gear set 10. The output element of theclutch A is designed as an outer carrier 40 and possesses a disk-likesection 47, which, runs centrally to the middle of the transmission upto the first sun gear shaft 6, by means of which it is connected to thesmall sun gear 21 of the principal planetary gear set 20. Inner diskcarriers 42, disks 41 and outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A alsoover lap the clutch E.

The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A, in a simple way, is placed onthat side of the disks 41 of the clutch A which side is proximal to theprincipal planetary gear set 20 thus being first, between the disks 41of the clutch A, that is to say, the disk-like inner disk carrier 72 andsecond, the disk-like section 47 of the outer disk carrier 40 of theclutch A, advantageously directly contiguous to the components.

In another embodiment it is possible, that provision can be made, thatthe servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A can be placed in axial directionbetween the disk-like section 47 of the output element of the clutch Aand the disk-like section 67 of the output element of the clutch B,advantageously directly bordering on these components, whereby a pistonof the clutch A bypasses the outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch Aaxially in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10 and thedisks 41 of the clutch A are activated from their side proximal to theprimary planetary gear set 10.

Derived from the exemplary component arrangement as per FIG. 6, FIG. 7shows an additional embodiment of an arrangement of the servoapparatuses 43, 63 of the clutches A and B. In this embodiment thespatial positioning of the disks 41, 61 of the two clutches A, B,relative to the primary planetary gear set 10 and the principalplanetary gear set 20 and relative to the other shifting elements C to Fremain unchanged. Likewise, in an unchanged manner, the respective innerdisk carrier 42 and the outer disk carrier 60 form the respective inputelements of the clutches A, B and in the same manner outer disk carrier40 and inner disk carrier 62 form the respective output elements of theclutches A, B.

A different feature from FIG. 6, is that now provision is made for theservo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is placed on that side of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 which is remote from the principal planetary set20, and axially between the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B and thedisk-like output element 17 of the internal gear 14, advantageouslydirectly bordering on the servo apparatus 63 and the disk-like outputelement 17. The disks 41 of the clutch A were also activated on theirside which is remote from the principal planetary gear set 20. In thisregard, an activation element of the servo apparatus 43 bypasses theinternal gear 14 of the primary planetary gear set 10 and extendsitself—radially above a cylindrical section 44 bound with the internalgear 14 of the input element of the clutch A which said element is inservice also as inner disk carrier 42, and also, radially underneath thecylindrical section 66 of the output element of the clutch B serving asinner disk carrier 62—in axial direction up to the disks 41 of theclutch A. Advantageously, with this arrangement of the servo apparatuses43, 63 of the clutches A and B is their interlocking positioning withinthe outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B, whereby a simple preassemblyas an individual component becomes possible.

Since the placement of the other components in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7correspond to the order presented in FIG. 3, any further detaileddescription at this point would be superfluous and such is accordinglyomitted.

By means of these arrangements described in FIGS. 6, 7 relative to theplanetary gear sets and shifting elements—in a similar manner to theproposed assembly in FIG. 3—in an advantageous way, a very smallassembly length has been achieved for the multistage transmission withcoaxial input drive and output drive.

FIG. 8 shows a third exemplary alternate of a component assembly of amultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset variant, basing itself on the second component assembly alternate asshown in FIG. 6. A difference, when compared to FIG. 6, lies essentiallyonly in the arrangements of the brake C, which now is to be found in anaxial direction between brake F and clutch B, and also that side of theclutch B which is remote from the principal planetary gear set 20.Advantageously, the brake C is placed to be proximal to the brake F. Thedisks 101 of the brake C possess, for example, the same diameter as dothe disks 80 of the brake F and are, when seen in the radial direction,located partially above the primary planetary gear set 10. In thedepicted example, the outer disk carriers 100, 80, of both brakes C, Fare made as a one-piece component, which is securely bound to thetransmission housing 30. In another embodiment, it is possible that theouter disk carriers 100, 80 of both brakes C, F can also be integratedinto the transmission housing 30.

In the presented example, the servo apparatuses 105, 83 of the brakes C,F are integrated in this common outer disk carrier. The servo apparatus105 of the brake C activates the disks 101 of the brake C then, in thedirection of the principal planetary gear set 20 while the servoapparatus 83 of the brake F activates the disks 81 of the brake F in theopposite direction, namely in the direction of the transmission housingwall 31, onto which the disks 81 directly border. In another embodiment,the servo apparatus 105 of the brake C can obviously be placed on thatside of the disks 101 which is proximal to the principal planetary gearset 20. Likewise, in yet another embodiment of the present invention, itis possible that the servo apparatus 83 of the brake F—as in FIG. 6—canbe placed between the transmission housing wall 31 and the disks 81 ofthe brake F.

The assembly shown in FIG. 8 of the one-piece outer disk carrier forboth brakes C, F, with the servo apparatuses integrated in the outerdisk carrier of both brakes C, F, gives rise to a very compact andsimple preassembled component group.

The inner disk carrier 102 of the brake C possesses an approximatelycylindrical shaped section 103, which extends in the axial directionradially above the cylindrical section 65 of the input element of theclutch B, which element is doing duty as outer disk carrier 60. Further,in the area of the disks 61 of the clutch B is connected with thecylindrical shaped section 66 of the output element of the clutch B,which, for example, is designed to act as an inner disk carrier 62 andradially bypasses the clutch A axially in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20. The inner disk carrier 102 of the brake C alsopasses over the disks 61 of the clutch B. The disks 41 of the clutch Apossess in an advantageous manner, at least an approach to the samediameter as that of the disks 61 of the clutch B. Excellently, infabrication techniques, it is possible that in both clutches A, B, forinstance, even the same disks can be employed.

In FIG. 9 through FIG. 33 are various additional component arrangementvariants of an invented multistage transmission with non-coaxial inputand output drives. FIG. 9 shows, in particular, a fourth exemplarycomponent arrangement variant of the multistage transmission with thefirst invented primary planetary gear set variant, based on thepreviously discussed FIG. 6 arrangement for coaxial input and outputdrives.

As may be seen in FIG. 9, the component group comprised of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and the shifting elements F, B, A, E and C andtheir arrangement in the transmission housing 30 and also their forcerelated connection to the principal planetary gear set 20, all as setforth in FIG. 6, remains unchanged. That is to say, the entiretransmission section between the motor shaft 1 and the support plate 35,that is, the three shafts 5, 6 and 7 which are carried in the supportplate 35 are identical. Even so the Ravigneaux-gear set, identical tothe case in FIG. 6, is proposed as a principal planetary gear set 20with its connection to the three shafts 5, 6 and 7. The internal gear 27of the principal planetary gear set 20 forms the output element thereofand is now connected by means of a spur gear 9 coaxially placed to theprincipal planetary gear set 20 and connected to the output drive shaft4. The output drive of the principal planetary gear set 20 is notcoaxial to the motor drive shaft 1, that is, the input drive shaft 3,but rather advantageously is at right angles to the motor connectedshaft 1, that is to say to the drive shaft 3. Accordingly, the outputshaft 4 is parallel to the motor shaft 1, that is, the input shaft 3. Inthis way, the proposed multistage transmission adapts itself especiallyfor a motor vehicle with an installed motor which is positionedtransversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. In a favorablemanner, the spur gear 9 is axially placed by means of a correspondinglydesigned bearing unit and radially on the already available supportplate 35, which is placed on that side of the brake C which is proximalto the principal planetary gear set 20. The spur gear is also directlybetween the support plate 35 and the principal planetary gear set 20.

The brake D, by means of which the coupled spiders 25, 26 of theprincipal planetary gear set 20 can be made fixed, is now on that sideof the principal planetary gear set 20 which is remote from the primaryplanetary gear set 10, bordering on an outer wall of the transmissionhousing 30. In order to achieve the smallest possible count of disks forthe brake D and therewith a favorable installation condition for themultistage transmission, the disks for the brake D are placed at thegreatest possible outside diameter, radially above the principalplanetary gear set 20. A servo apparatus of the brake D in thisarrangement, can now be placed advantageously between the spur gear 9,that is, the output drive shaft 4 and the disks of the brake D. Forexample, the servo apparatus can even be integrated into the outer wallof the transmission housing 30 which wall borders the principalplanetary gear set on that side of the principal planetary gear set 20which is remote from the motor, whereby this outer wall can also serveas a cover.

In the multistage transmission shown in FIG. 9 the torsion damper 2 andthe (not shown) driving motor are place on that side of the multistagetransmission, on which the sixth shifting element is placed. The torsiondamper 2 and the drive motor are also placed closer to the primaryplanetary gear set 10 than to the principal planetary gear set 20.

FIG. 10 now shows a fifth exemplary component arrangement variant of amultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset-variant and advantageous axially parallel input and output drives.In this arrangement is provided the basic structure of the buildup ofthe transmission, the brake F, the primary planetary gear set 10, theclutches A and B as well as the brake C are all shown placed together ina first part of the transmission housing 30, which extends itselfbetween the transmission housing wall 31 and the support plate 35.Correspondingly, the spur gear 9 with the output shaft 4, the principalplanetary gear set 20, the brake D as well as the clutch E are alltogether in a second part of the transmission housing 30, which extendsitself from the support plate 35 to a cover 36, which lies oppositely onthe side of the transmission housing wall 31. Obviously, it is possiblethat the cover 36 and the transmission housing 30 can be made as aone-piece component.

Entirely different than all of the previously described embodiments ofthe invented multistage transmission is the third shifting element E, bymeans of which the transmission input speed of rotation, namely n_(ein),is applied to the third input element of the principal planetary gearset 20, is now placed on that side of the principal planetary gear set20 which is remote from the primary planetary gear set 10. In theillustrated example, the principal planetary gear set 20 and the clutchE are upon that side of the primary planetary gear set 10 which isremote from the motor input shaft 1. The clutch E borders directly on ahousing wall of the transmission housing 30, which is located on thatside of the transmission housing which is oppositely situated from theinput shaft 1 of the motor. The input drive shaft 3 of the multistagetransmission completely penetrates the transmission centrally, up to thecover 36. For a simplified assembly of the transmission, it is possible,that the input drive shaft 3 can be construction in more than onesection.

The placement of the brake F greatly corresponds to the arrangement asshown in FIG. 3. As may be seen in FIG. 10, the brake F is unchanged onthat side of the primary planetary gear set 10 which is remote from theprincipal planetary gear set 20, and bordering on the transmissionhousing wall 31 of the transmission housing 30, at the greatest possiblediameter directly at the outer diameter of the transmission housing 30.The outer disk carrier 80 of the brake F can be integrated into thetransmission housing 30 in a simple manner. In the axial space betweenthe transmission housing wall 31 and the inner disk carrier 82 isprovided a servo apparatus 83 for the activation of the brake F.Obviously, it is also possible that, the transmission housing wall 31can be constructed as a separate, intervening plate securely bound tothe transmission housing 30. The inner disk carrier 82 of the brake Fpossesses a disk shaped section 84, which extends centrally toward theinterior and is connected with the—in this example short—sun gear shaft85 of the primary planetary gear set 10. This sun gear shaft 85 isconnected with sun gear 11 of the primary planetary gear set 10 and isplaced on the cylindrical projection 33 of the transmission housing wall31, which extends itself axially in the direction of the primaryplanetary gear set 10. The servo apparatus 83 of the brake F borderslikewise especially on the transmission housing wall 31 and on thedisk-like section 84 of the inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F. Thepressurized medium channels for the activation of the brake F, can runinside the transmission housing wall 31, and/or inside the cylindricalprojection 33.

The primary planetary gear set 10 borders axially directly on the brakeF, especially directly on the disk-like section 84 of the inner diskcarrier 82, whereby the disks 81 of the brake F, at least partially,could be located, in a space saving measure, above the internal gear 14of the primary planetary gear set 10. The input shaft 3 of themultistage transmission is, for example, carried by the projection 33 ofthe transmission housing wall 31 and, on that side of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 remote from the brake F is connected with thecoupled spiders 15, 16 of the primary planetary gear set.

The clutches A, B are spatially placed between the primary planetarygear set 10 and the principal planetary gear set 20, upon that side ofthe primary planetary gear set 10 which is remote from the brake F. Theplates 41, 61 of the clutches A, B are, as to spatial location,predominately set, one over the other, whereby the disks 61 of theclutch B possess a larger diameter than do the disks 41 of the clutch A.The input elements of both clutches A, B are designed to serve as outerdisk carriers, respectively, 40, 60, the corresponding input elementsbeing 42, 62.

In input element of the clutch B is designed as an outer disk carrier60, this being a cylinder opening in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20 with a disk-like section 65, which bordersdirectly on the primary planetary gear set 10, especially onto thecoupled spiders 15, 16 of the primary planetary gear set 10 and isconnected with the internal gear 14 of the primary planetary gear set10. This disk-like section 65, in this arrangement, extends radially tothe centerline axis of the transmission and, by means of a supportsection, which extends itself axially in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20, the section 65 is connected to the input driveshaft 3. The outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A, acting as the inputelement thereof, is likewise constructed as a cylinder opening in thedirection of the principal planetary gear set 20. A disk-like section 45of this input element of the clutch A extends radially to thetransmission centerline axis from the support section of the outsidedisk carrier 60 of the clutch B on the input drive 3. In the area ofthis support section of the outer disk carrier 60 are bound the twoouter disk carriers 40, 60 of the clutches A, B.

The inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A is predominately designed in adisk shape, and is so placed, that it aligns centrally with thelongitudinal axis of the transmission, extending up to the first sungear shaft 6. The sun gear shaft 6, in this particular embodiment, islocated directly on the input shaft 3. The output element of the clutchA connects with the small sun gear 21 of the principal planetary gearset 20. The output element of the clutch B, which said element serves asinner disk carrier 62 embraces a short cylindrical shaped section 66,which runs axially toward the principal planetary gear set, as well as adisk-like section 67, which attaches itself to the cylindrical shaped66. The section 67 is further connected with the inner disk carrier 102of the brake C and extends radially in the direction of the transmissioncentral axis up to the second sun gear shaft 7. Sun gear shaft 7 runscoaxially above the first sun gear shaft 6 and is affixed thereto. Theoutput element of the clutch B is connected to the large sun gear of theprincipal planetary gear set 20.

The servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B is axially placed between thedisk-like section 65 of the input element of the clutch B, which servesas outer disk carrier 60 and the disk-like section 45 of the inputelement of the clutch A, which said section serves as outer disk carrier42. Said servo apparatus 63 further advantageously borders on these twodisk-like sections 65, 45. The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A isplaced axially between the disk-like section 45 of the input element ofthe clutch A and the predominately disk-like inner disk carrier 42 ofthe clutch A. Advantageously, the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A isfound to be directly bordering on the disk-like section 45.

The clutch A lies thus completely within the clutch space of the clutchB, wherein its position is fixed, by means of the cylindrical shapedouter disk carrier 60 and the cylindrical shaped section 66 of the innerdisk carrier 62 of the clutch B.

In an advantageous manner, both servo apparatuses 43, 63 of the clutchesA, B rotate continually with the output speed of rotation, namely n_(vs)of the primary planetary gear set 10. In this way, an empty run of thepiston space—and insofar as foreseen, also the pressure compensationspace—of the two clutches A, B, in their non-engaged state, is avoidedand thus the shifting comfort upon successive shiftings is improved.

The support plate 35 connects axially and in the direction of theprincipal planetary gear set 20 to the brake C and the disk-like section67 of the output element of the clutch B. Accordingly, the support plate35, in the illustrated example, is shown as a separate component andconnected with the transmission housing 30, whereupon it takes overadditional support functions, namely for the second sun gear shaft 7 aswell as the bearing for the spur gear 9, which is directly contiguous tothe support plate 35, on that side thereon which is proximal to theprincipal planetary gear set 20.

As has already been explained in the introductory passages of thedescription of FIG. 10, the principal planetary gear set 20, the brake Dand the clutch E are located likewise on the that side of the supportplate 35 which is remote from the primary planetary gear set 10.Accordingly, the principal planetary gear set 20 borders directly on thespur gear 9 and the output shaft 4 which is actively bound with the spurgear 9. The principal planetary gear set 20 is also placed on that sideof the spur gear 9, which is remote from the support plate 35. Withoutchange, the internal gear 27 forms the output element of the principalplanetary gear set 20 and is connected to the spur gear 9. The brake D,by means of which the coupled spiders 25, 26 of the exemplary RavigneauxGear Set are secured, operates without disks, and on this account iseconomical in assembled length and is located radially above theinternal gear 27 of the principal planetary gear set 20. The clutch Eborders directly on a housing outer wall of the transmission housing 30,which lies on the side of the transmission housing which is opposite tothe transmission housing wall 31. The input drive shaft 3 of themultistage transmission is installed centrally through the principalplanetary gear set 20 and on that side of the principal planetary gearset 20 which is remote from the spur gear and bound to the outer diskcarrier 70 of the clutch E. Accordingly, the outer disk carrier 70 ofthe clutch E is advantageously designed as a cylinder, open in thedirection of the principal planetary gear set 20. The disks 71 of theclutch E are advantageously designed to be of large diameter, whichthereby brings about the result of having a lesser number of disks. Theinner disk carrier 72 forms the output element of the clutch E and isbound to the coupled spiders 25, 26 of the principal planetary gear set20. The servo apparatus 73 of the clutch E is, for example, placedwithin the cylindrical shaped outer disk carrier 70 and borders, in anaxial direction, the inner disk carrier 72 of the clutch E. In anadvantageous manner, the servo apparatus 73 rotates always with thetransmission input shaft rotary speed n_(ein), whereby an empty run of apiston space of the clutch E—and, to the extent it may be present, anempty run of the pressure compensation space of a dynamic pressurecompensation of the clutch E—is avoided.

In an assembly of the arrangement of components, as set forth in FIG.10, provision can be made that the motor shaft 1 and therewith the (notshown) drive motor can be placed on that side of the multistagetransmission on which the principal planetary gear set 20 and the clutchE find themselves, also, on that side of the planetary gear set 10 whichis remote from the principal planetary gear set 20, on that side of theclutch E which is remote from the principal planetary gear set 20. Insuch an arrangement, the cover 36 can be correspondingly placed on thetransmission housing wall 31 where it could also be made of one-piececonstruction therewith. The placement of the principal planetary gearset 20 proximal to the motor has acoustic advantages because of thelessened noise radiating surfaces in the area of the multi-membered,principal planetary gear set 20 and is especially of value, when theprincipal planetary gear set 20 is built as a Ravigneaux Gear Set. TheRavigneaux Gear Set is a very compact, space saving design of atwo-spider, four shaft gear drive, yet known to be acoustically criticalbecause of the stepwise planetary construction.

Derived from the described, exemplary component assembly as shown inFIG. 10, FIGS. 11 and 12 show two different versions for the spatialarrangement of the servo apparatuses 43, 63, and the clutches A and B.Here, the spatial apportionment of the disks 41, 61 of the two clutchesA, B, relative to the primary planetary gear set 10 and the principalplanetary gear set 20, to the spur gear 9 and to the other shiftingelements C to F, remains unchanged as compared to the arrangementexhibited in FIG. 10. Even so, without change, the outer disk carriers40, 60 form the respective input elements of the clutches A, B and innerdisk carriers 42, 62 represent the respective output elements.

As a difference from FIG. 10, in the formation in accordance with FIG.11, the proposal is that the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A, whichis placed on that side of the disks 41 of the clutch A, which side isremote from the primary planetary gear set 10, and be directly axiallybordering to the inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A, especially, theservo apparatus 43 is to be directly bordering on the disk-like outputelement 47 of the clutch A. The disks 41 of the clutch A are also nowactivated by their side which is remote from the primary planetary gearset 10.

Further, the proposal in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG.11, is that the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B, at least partiallyaxis-parallel, in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20,is to directly border on the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A, wherebyan activation element of the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B extendsradially underneath the cylindrical section 66 of the output element ofthe clutch B, which is serving as inner disk carrier 66 of the clutch B,but radially above the servo apparatus 43 and the outer disk carrier 40of the clutch A, and running axially in the direction of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 bypasses the disks 61 of the clutch B due to theirinside diameter but activates the same disks on their side which isproximal to the primary planetary gear set 10. On their side, which isproximal to the principal planetary gear set 20, the servo apparatus 63of the clutch B borders on the disk-like section 67 of the inner diskcarrier 62 of the clutch B.

In an advantageous manner, it is possible that the two servo apparatuses43, 63 respectively of the clutches A, B can be preassembled within thecylindrical shaped inner disk carrier 62 of the clutch B, thus formingan assembled component together with the inner disk carriers 42, 62 ofthe two respective clutches A, B.

Likewise in FIG. 11, shown as an example in FIG. 10, is shown analternative arrangement of the servo apparatus 73 of the fifth shiftingelement E. The servo apparatus 73 now borders directly on an outer wallof the transmission housing 30, otherwise designated as cover 36, whichfinds itself on that side of the multistage transmission which liesopposite to the transmission housing wall 31. In the illustratedembodiment shown in FIG. 10, the cover 36 is designed as a separatecomponent which is affixed to the transmission cover 30. However,provision can also be made, that the cover 36 and the transmissionhousing 30 can be made as a one-piece construction. The servo apparatus73 of the clutch E, in this embodiment, is no longer located within thecylindrical shaped outer disk carrier 70 of the clutch E. In thearrangement shown, an activation element bypasses the servo apparatus 73in the axial direction, radially above the outer disk carrier 70 andactivates the disks 71 of the clutch E on the side thereof, which isproximal to the spur gear 9.

Obviously, it is possible that the exemplary arrangement shown in FIG.10 of the servo apparatus 73 of the clutch E can be replaced by thealteration as shown in FIG. 11 of the servo apparatus 73. The sameapplies in the following FIGS. 12 to 16, in regard to the respectivepresentations of the servo apparatus 73.

FIG. 12 shows, as compared to FIG. 10, an alternative formation for thespatial placement of the servo apparatuses 43, 63 of the clutches A andB. The spatial arrangement of the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch Bcorresponds to that shown in FIG. 10. However, as a difference from FIG.10, the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is now to be found borderingdirectly on the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B. The servo apparatus63 of the clutch B is thus nearer to the primary planetary gear set 10than is the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A. Spatially, the servoapparatus 43 of the clutch A is placed on that side of the outer diskcarrier 30 which is proximal to the primary planetary gear set 10 andthe disks 41 of the clutch A and advantageously directly bordering onthe disk-like section 45 of the outer disk carrier 40. In this case ofthis arrangement, an activation element of the servo apparatus 43 of theclutch A bypasses—radially underneath the disks 61 of the clutchB—axially in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20 andradially above the outer disk carrier 40 and the disks 41 of the clutchA to activate the disks 41 on their side which is distal from theprimary planetary gear set 10.

Both servo apparatuses 43, 63 of the clutches A, B are also placed atleast predominately within the cylinder shaped outer disk carrier 60 ofthe clutch B and, in common with the two outer dick carriers 40, 60 ofthe clutches A, B can be preassembled as a compact component. Is in thecase of the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 10, both servoapparatuses 43, 63 rotate continually with the output speed of rotationn_(vs) of the primary planetary gear set 10, whereby an empty run of thepiston space or the pressure compensation space of the clutches A, B(when in the non-engaged state) are avoided.

FIG. 13 now shows a sixth exemplary component arrangement variant of themultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset variant, and advantageously an axis parallel input and output drive.Under these circumstances, the basic structure of the construction ofthe transmission is, essentially, that same structure which wasexplained in a detailed manner for FIG. 10. Together in a firstcompartment of the transmission housing 30 are to be found: brake F,primary planetary gear set 10, clutch A, clutch B and brake C. The saidfirst compartment extends between transmission housing wall 31 and thesupport plate 35. Correspondingly, the spur gear 9, the output driveshaft 4, the principal planetary gear set 20, the brake D and the clutchE are to be found together in a second compartment of the transmissionhousing 30, which compartment extends itself from the support plate 35to the cover 36, which is affixed to the end of the transmission housing30 and lies opposite to the transmission housing wall 31. Completelytaken from the design shown in FIG. 10 is the component arrangement ofthe spur gear 9, output drive shaft 4, the principal planetary gear set20, brake D and clutch E as located within this second compartment.Likewise, taken from FIG. 10 is the power path type connection of theprincipal planetary gear set 20 and the clutch E on the input driveshaft 3 and the first and second sun gear shafts 6, 7, whereby all threeshafts 3, 6, 7 run coaxially, one above the other and penetratecentrally through the support plate 35.

The illustrated arrangement of the brake F, as seen in FIG. 13, thisbeing within the first compartment of the transmission housing 30,wherein the brake F borders directly on the transmission housing wall31, represents the arrangement explained in FIG. 10. The disk shapedsection 84 of the inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F extends along thetransmission housing wall 31 radially in the direction of the inputdrive shaft 31 up to the sun gear shaft 85 of the primary planetary gearset 10, which is placed above the input drive shaft 3 on the cylindricalshaped projection 33 of the transmission wall 31, which projectionextends itself to the primary planetary gear set 10. The sun gear shaft85 is connected to the sun gear 11 of the primary planetary gear set 10.Accordingly, the primary planetary gear set 10—similar to FIG. 10—isplaced axially in the direction of the support plate 35, that is to say,toward the principal planetary gear set 20 beside the brake F, and itsinput element is connected on its side which is proximal to theprincipal planetary gear set 20 with a input drive shaft 3, but however,no longer borders directly on the disk shaped section 84 of the innerdisk carrier 82 of the brake F.

The input element of the clutch B, which is connected with the internalgear 14 of the primary planetary gear set 10, is now designed as theinner disk carrier 62. The disks 61 of the clutch B are placed at leastpartially, in the radial direction, above the internal gear 14. Theoutput element of the clutch B functions as an outer disk carrier 60,and is a cylinder opening in the direction of the principal planetarygear set 20 with a cylindrical section 66, which extends axially in awide range of the first compartment of the transmission housing 30,extending itself from the disk shaped section 84 of the inner diskcarrier 82 of the brake F up to the disks 101 of the brake C. In thisway, the brake C borders directly on that side of the support plate 35which is proximal to the primary planetary gear set 10. A portion of thecylindrical section 66 runs radially underneath the disks 81 of thebrake F. On the side of the outer disk carrier 60, which is proximal tothe transmission housing wall 31, a disk-like section 67 of the outputelement of the clutch B connects itself onto the cylindrical section 66which—directly bordering on the disk-like section 84 of the inner diskcarrier 82 of the brake F—extends centrally in the direction of theinput drive shaft 3 up to a support section, which is placed on the sungear shaft 85 of the primary planetary gear set 10. On the open side ofthe cylinder shaped, outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B, is found thecylindrically shaped section 66 connected with the inner disk carrier102 of the brake C, which has a disk-like section 104, which isconducted centrally inward up to the second sun gear shaft 7, by meansof which it is connected to the second input element of the principalplanetary gear set 20. In an assembled example, the second sun gearshaft 7 is placed coaxially above the first sun gear shaft 6, this can,however, additionally or exclusively be placed in the support plate 35.

The servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B is placed axially between thedisk-like section 67 of the output element of the clutch B, which isserving as an outer disk carrier 60 and the primary planetary gear set10, preferably directly bordering thereon. Because of the necessaryconstruction width of the servo apparatus 63, the positioning base ofthe outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B must necessarily be relativelywide.

The clutch A is placed on that side of the primary planetary gear set10, which is proximal to the principal planetary gear set 20, andborders on the primary planetary gear set 10. The outer disk carrier 40of the clutch A, functioning as its input element, is connected with theinternal gear 14 of the primary planetary gear set 10 and is constructedas a cylinder, which is open in the direction of the principal planetarygear set 20. The input element of the clutch A includes a cylindricalsection 44 and a disk-like section 45. The disk-like section 45 borders,in this arrangement, the coupled spiders 15, 16 of the primary planetarygear set 10 and extends itself centrally in the direction of the inputdrive shaft 3 up to a support section, where, advantageously, it findsitself closely placed above the outside diameter of the input driveshaft 3 and can also be supported on the input drive shaft 3. The outputelement of the clutch A is designed as an inner disk carrier 42, which,in the finished product, is essentially disk-like and extends centrallyin the direction of the input drive shaft 3 up to a support section onwhich the outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch A is located and there toconnect with the first input element of the principal planetary gear set20.

The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is spatially positioned betweenthe primary planetary gear set 10 and the disks 41 of the clutch A,completely inside of the cylinder shaped outer disk carrier 40 of theclutch A, preferably bordering on the disk-like section 45 of the inputelement of the clutch A. In an advantageous manner, the servo apparatus43 of the clutch A rotates continually with the output speed of rotationn_(vs) of the primary planetary gear set 10.

Using the exemplary component arrangement as shown in FIG. 13, FIGS. 14and 15 show two embodiments for the arrangement of the servo apparatuses43, 63 of the clutches A and B. As is to be seen in FIG. 14, in a firstembodiment, proposed is, that the servo apparatus 63 of the clutchB—where the position of disks 61 of the clutch B is not changed, atleast partially in the radial direction above the primary planetary gearset 10—onto which is to be placed that side of the primary planetarygear set 10 which is proximal to the principal planetary gear set 20,the position being axially in the direction of the principal planetarygear set and bordering on the clutch A. Advantageously, in thisarrangement, a portion of the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B bordersdirectly on the predominately disk-like designed inner disk carrier 42of the clutch A. An activation element of the servo apparatus 63 extendsradially between the outer disk carrier 40, which forms the inputelement for the clutch A, and a cylindrical section 66 of the outputelement of the clutch B, serving as outer disk carrier 60 of the clutchB, this being axial in the direction of the primary planetary gear set10 up to the disks 61 of the clutch B. The disks 61 of the clutch B werealso, as a difference to FIG. 13, now activated on their side which isproximal to the principal planetary gear set 20.

Correspondingly, the outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B is designedas a cylinder opening in the direction of the primary planetary gear set10 of the transmission housing wall 31. On the cylindrical section 66 ofthe output element of the clutch B, there is connected an at leastpartially disk-like section 67 of the output element of the clutch B,which borders on the support plate 35 and, within the zone of itsoutside diameter, is in connection with the inner disk carrier 102 ofthe brake C. In the area of its inside diameter, it is bound to thesecond sun gear shaft 7. In an advantageous manner, the outer diskcarrier 60, is placed by means of a relatively broad bearing connectionon a cylindrical projection of the support plate 35, which extends inthe direction of the primary planetary gear set 10.

As may be seen in FIG. 14, the servo apparatus 83 of the brake F, as aresult of the other spatial arrangement of the servo apparatus 63 of theclutch B is now nearer to the primary planetary gear set 10 than is thecase in accordance with FIG. 13. Especially, now the disk-like section84 of the inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F borders directly axiallyto the primary planetary gear set 10.

In an advantageous manner, this arrangement enables a simple means ofmounting of the individual components. Thus, it is possible, that thecylindrical outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B, which,advantageously, forms simultaneously the inner disk carrier 102 of thebrake C can be preassembled with the servo-apparatus 43, the disks 41and the inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A, together with the innerdisk carrier 62 of the clutch B, all as a first component group, as wellas the cylindrical outer disk carrier 60 with the servo apparatus 63 andthe disks 61 of the brake B can be preassembled as a second componentgroup. Subsequently these first and second component groups themselvescan be simply preassembled together and placed in the transmissionhousing 30 as one complete, installable component.

In FIG. 15, presented as a second embodiment of the spatial arrangementof the servo apparatuses 43, 63 of the clutches A, B, the proposal ismade, which deviates from the previously described componentarrangements in accordance with FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, that the respectivedisks 41, 61 of both clutches A, B are now to be activated from thatside which is proximal to the support plate 35. The spatial position ofthe disks 41, 61, relative to the planetary gear sets and other shiftingelements, is now at least essentially identical to FIGS. 13 and 14.

The spatial location and design of the outer disk carrier 60 of theclutch B, which are presented in FIG. 15, along with the spatialpositioning of the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B within thecylindrical outer disk carrier 60 were entirely taken over from FIG. 14.In the differences to FIG. 14 and as well to FIG. 13, provision has beenmade, that the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A on that side of thedisks 41 remote from the primary planetary gear set 10, between thedisks 41 of the clutch A and the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B,advantageously axially directly bordering on the disk-like section 47 ofthe output element of the clutch A which is serving as the inner diskcarrier 42. In this way, the servo apparatuses 43, 63 of the clutches A,B now lie together, whereby the clutch A is placed entirely within theclutch space of the clutch B, which is formed by the cylindrical outerdisk carrier 60 of the clutch B.

The components A and B which are proposed in FIG. 15 to be boxed withinone another enable a very simple pre-assembly of both clutches A, B asone construction entity.

FIG. 16 shows now a seventh exemplary component arrangement variant of amultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset variant and the advantageous axis parallel input and output driveshafts. In this embodiment, the proposed variant in FIG. 16 exceeds byfar the previous component arrangement as shown in FIG. 14. Essentiallydifferent is the conception of an input and output element of the clutchA and the placement of the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A whichemerged therefrom. The input element of the clutch A is now designed asan inner disk carrier 42, which is located on the inner disk carrier 62of the clutch B, which is above the primary planetary gear set 10, inthe direction of the principal planetary gear set 20. The outer diskcarrier 40 of the clutch A forms its output element and is constructedas a cylinder, which opens in the direction of the primary planetarygear set 10. Accordingly, a cylindrical section 46 of the output elementof the clutch A extends radially underneath the cylindrical outer diskcarrier 60 of the clutch B, axially in the direction of the supportplate 35, that is to say, in the direction of the principal planetarygear set 20 up to the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B, which isplaced within the cylindrical outside disk carrier 60. Onto thiscylindrical section 46, there is connected a disk-like section 47 of theoutput element of the clutch A, which extends centrally to the inside tothe first sun gear shaft 6, by means of which the outer disk carrier 40of the clutch A is connected to the first input element of the principalplanetary gear set 20. In this arrangement, the outer disk carrier 40 ofthe clutch A, advantageously has a smaller outside diameter than theinside diameter of the disks 61 of the clutch 5.

The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is spatially situated between thedisks 41 of the clutch A and the disk-like section 47 of the outputelement of the clutch A which is serving as an outer disk carrier 40,and advantageously borders directly on the disk-like section 47. Thusthe clutch A is entirely situated within the clutch B space formed bythe cylindrical outer disk carrier 60.

The proposed component arrangement in FIG. 16 permits, especially, asimple installation of the necessary air play of the two clutches A andB. The outer disk carrier 40 of the first clutch A, which said carrieris preassembled with servo apparatus 43 and the disks 41, can, in a verysimple manner, be inserted into the likewise preassembled outer diskcarrier unit 60 of the clutch B with the servo apparatus 63 and disks61. The subsequent assembly operation of the inner disk carriers 42, 62of the clutches A, B in the respective disk packets can still besomewhat simplified, in that inner disk carriers 42, 62 can be made asone-piece.

As a variant of the arrangement of the servo apparatus 83 of the brakeF, the proposal is, for example, to place this now between the innerdisk carrier 82 and the primary planetary gear set 10. As is evident inthe embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the disks 81 of the brake F arealso activated in the direction of transmission housing wall 31. For thereinforcement of the servo apparatus in the counter direction of thedisks 81, in the presented embodiment a cylinder 39 is provided, whichis bound with the transmission housing 30 and possesses a vertical wall,which borders, in that direction which is axially counter to that of thedisks 81 and borders directly onto the servo apparatus 83. In this way,the cylinder 39 accepts the outer disk carrier 80 of the brake F.Obviously, it is possible, that cylinder 39 and the outer disk carrier80 can also be made in one-piece, as was proposed, for example, in FIG.5. Also, it is possible that the cylinder 39 can be integrated into thetransmission housing 30.

FIG. 17 shows a eighth example of a component arrangement variant of themultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset variant and advantageously, an axis parallel input and output driveshaft assembly. In this embodiment, the proposed variant shown in FIG.17 far exceeds the previously described (as in FIG. 13) componentarrangement. The difference in design lies mainly in the input andoutput element of the clutch A and the therefrom resulting advantageousarrangement of the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A. The input elementof the clutch A is now serving as an inner disk carrier 42, whichlocates itself on the inner disk carrier 62 of the clutch B which isfound radially above the primary planetary gear set 10 in the directionof the principal planetary gear set 20. The outer disk carrier 40 of theclutch A forms its output element and is made as a cylinder which opensin the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10. Correspondingly,a cylindrical section 46 of the output element of the clutch A extendsitself radially underneath cylindrical outer disk carrier 60 of theclutch B, axially in the direction of the principal planetary gear set20, somewhat up to a disk-like inner disk carrier 102 of the brake C,which is connected to the second sun gear shaft 7. On this cylindricalsection 46 of the output element of the clutch A serving as an outerdisk carrier 40, there is connected a disk-like section 47, whichextends centrally to the inside up to the first sun gear shaft 6, bymeans of which the outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A connects withthe first input element of the principal planetary gear set 20.Advantageously, the outside diameter of the outer disk carrier 40 of theclutch A, in this case, is slightly smaller than the inside diameter ofthe cylindrical section 66 of the output element of the clutch B, whichsaid element is serving as an outer disk carrier 60, in order to achievethe greatest possible torque transmission capability of the clutch Aupon a simultaneously, smallest possible number of disks.

The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is spatially located between thedisks 41 of the clutch A and the disk-like section 47 of the outputelement of the clutch A, which said output element is serving as theouter disk carrier 40 and advantageously, the servo apparatus 43 isdirectly bordering on the disk-like section 47. The activation of thedisks 41 of the clutch A is carried out, however, by their side which isremote from the primary planetary gear set 10. In this way, the outputelement of the of the clutch B completely bypasses the clutch A.

In the following FIGS. 18 to 22, are a ninth to a thirteenth exemplarycomponent arrangement variant of a multistage transmission with thefirst invented primary planetary gear set variant and advantageouslyaxis parallel input and output drives, wherein respectively, the sixthshifting element F is placed on that side of the primary planetary gearset 10 which is remote from the principal planetary gear set 20, on thatside of the transmission housing 30 which is proximal to the drive shaftof the motor 1, and bordering on the transmission housing wall 31.Respectively, the first and the second shifting elements A, B are placedbetween the primary planetary gear set 10 and the principal planetarygear set 20. Accordingly, the primary planetary gear set 10 and bothshifting elements A, B are placed together and the second shiftingelement B borders in the direction of the principal planetary gear set20 on the primary planetary gear set 10. The first shifting element Aborders on the second shifting element B, and the third shifting elementC, by means of which the second input element of the principal planetarygear set 20 can be made fixed, is continually on that side of theprincipal planetary gear set 20 which is remote from the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and borders on an outer wall of the transmissionhousing 30 lying opposite to the drive motor 1, that is, opposite to thetransmission housing wall 31. The second shifting element B is thusalways placed nearer to the primary planetary gear set 10 than is thefirst shifting element A. The fifth shifting element E is placed, asseen in the direction of the input drive, always before the principalplanetary gear set 20.

As in the case of the previously described arrangement-variants as shownin FIG. 3 to FIG. 17 as well as in the FIGS. 18 to 20, the inner diskcarrier 82 of the sixth shifting element F, which is serving as a brake,and the sun gear 11 of the primary planetary gear set 10, are connectedby means of the sun gear shaft 85 of the primary planetary gear set 10,which is bearingly supported on the projection 33 of the transmissionhousing wall 31. The already coupled spiders 15, 16 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 are upon the side thereof, which is opposite tothe brake F and bound to the input drive shaft 3. The internal gear 14of the primary planetary gear set 10 is, respectively, connected to theouter disk carrier 60 of the second shifting element B which acts as aclutch and is likewise connected with the inner disk carrier 42 of thefirst shifting element A which also serves as a clutch. Respectively, bymeans of second sun gear shaft 7, which said shaft, different from theprevious embodiment examples, is now centrally penetrating through theprincipal planetary gear set 20, the inner disk carrier 62 of the clutchB is joined with the second input element of the principal planetarygear set 20. Respectively, by means of the first sun gear shaft 6, whichsaid shaft, different from the previous embodiment examples, is nowcoaxially aligned above the second sun gear shaft 7 is now connected tosaid shaft, the outside disk carrier 40 of the clutch A is connected tothe first input element of the principal planetary gear set. The inputelement of the clutch E, by means of the coupled spiders 15, 16 of theprimary planetary gear set 10 is continually bound with the input driveshaft. The output element of the clutch E is continually, by means ofthe third shaft 5, which, differentiated from the previous embodimentexamples, is now placed on the second sun gear shaft 7 and/or secured inthe support plate 35, and is connected to first input element of theprincipal planetary gear set 20. With this arrangement, the supportplate 35, placed on the side of the existing component comprised of thespur gear 9 and the principal planetary gear set 20 is proximal to theprimary planetary gear set 10, that is to say, to the clutches A, B. Thedisks 41 and 61 of the clutches A, B possess nearly the same diameter.The diameter of the disks 71 of the clutch E is approximately of equal,or greater size than the diameter of the disks 41, 61 of the clutches A,B. From the standpoint of the technology of the manufacture, it isadvantageous if in this way, for instance, the same disks can be usedfor the clutches A and B.

In the ninth component arrangement variant, in accordance with FIG. 18,the proposal is, that the disks 71 of the clutch E be placed in theaxial direction between the clutch A and the principal planetary gearset 20, preferably axially bordering on the outer disk carrier 40 of theclutch A, the servo apparatus 73 of the clutch E, at least partially,however, bordering on the that side of the primary planetary gear set10, to which the clutch A is remote. The disks 71 of the clutch E areactivated by their side which is proximal to the primary planetary gearset 10. In this arrangement, the input element of the clutch E isdesigned as an outer disk carrier 70, with a cylindrical section 74,which extends itself in the axial direction, radially above the clutchesA and B from the disks 71 of the clutch E up to the area of the disks 81of the brake F. In the area of the disks 81 the brake F connects on tothis cylindrical shaped section 74 a disk-like section 75 of the inputelement of the clutch E and extends—directly bordering on the disk-likesection 84 of the inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F—centrally in thedirection of the input shaft 3 up to a support section, which extendsaxially to the sun gear shaft 85 of the primary planetary gear set 10 inthe direction of the primary planetary gear set 10 and is located onthis sun gear shaft 85. On that side of the support plate which isproximal to that of the primary planetary gear set 10, the outer diskcarrier 70 of the clutch E is connected to the coupled spiders 15, 16 ofthe primary planetary gear set 10. With this arrangement, the coupledspiders 15, 16 penetrate the primary planetary gear set 10 in the axialdirection. The servo apparatus 73 of the clutch E lies thereby withinthe cylindrical outer disk carrier 70, whereby an activation element ofthe servo apparatus 73 extends radially over the clutches A and B.

The fourth shifting element D, serving as a brake, by means of which thethird input element of the principal planetary gear set 20 is fixed inplace, borders, for example, axially in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20 on the disks 71 of the clutch E, before thesupport plate 35. Remote from the primary planetary gear set 10, thatis, on that side of the support plate 35 remote from the brake D, thereimmediately borders, for example, the principal planetary gear set 20,whereby the spur gear 9 is placed on that side of the principalplanetary gear set 20 which is remote from the primary planetary gearset 10, that is to say, that side of the principal planetary gear set 20which is remote from the (not shown) drive motor. On the side of thespur gear 9 which is remote from the principal planetary gear set 20borders to the spur gear, a second support plate 37 by means of whichthe spur gear 9 is supported. The third shifting element C, serving as abrake, by means of which the second input element of the principalplanetary gear set 20 is fixed in place, connects axially onto this saidsecond support plate 37 and thus locates on the opposite side of themultistage transmission from the (not shown) drive motor.

In another embodiment provision can be made, that the support plate 35axially borders, in the direction of the principal planetary gear set20, the disks 71 of the clutch E and the brake D can be placed on thatside of the support plate 35 which is remote from the primary planetarygear set 10.

For the arrangement of the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B, FIG. 18proposes to design the outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B, which saidcarrier is connected with the internal gear 14 of the primary planetarygear set 10, as a cylinder opening in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20. This input element of the clutch B possesses acylindrical section 64 and a disk-like section 65, whereby the disk-likesection 65 borders directly on the primary planetary gear set 10 and bymeans of a support section is placed upon the input drive shaft 3.Further, the proposal includes also the construction of the inner diskcarrier 62 of the clutch B as the output element thereof, building thisat least predominately in a platelike shape and that the servo apparatus63 of the clutch B be placed axially between the platelike section 65 ofthe input element of the clutch B, which input element serves as outerdisk carrier 60 and the disk-like inner disk carrier 62 of the clutch B.In this way, the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B always rotates withthe output speed of rotation n_(vs) of the primary planetary gear set10.

In another embodiment, the clutch B can also be so provided, that theservo apparatus 63 of the clutch B is placed on that side of the innerdisk carrier 62 of the clutch B which is proximal to the principalplanetary gear set 20.

For the arrangement of the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A, in FIG.18, the proposal is, that the inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A beconnected with the outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B, also toconstruct the output element of the clutch A as an outer disk carrier 40in the form of a cylinder opening in the direction of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 with a cylindrical section 46 and a thereonattached, disk-like section 47, as well as placing the servo apparatus43 of the clutch A axially between the disk-like sections 67, 47 of theoutput element of the clutches B and A. In this arrangement, thedisk-like section 47 of the output element of the clutch A, whichelement is also serving as an outer disk carrier 30, centrally connectedwith the first sun gear shaft 6 and by means of this, for example,becomes affixed on the support plate 35. Advantageously, the disk-likesection 47 borders on its side which is remote from the primaryplanetary gear set 10 directly on a disk-like section 77 of the innerdisk carrier 72 of the clutch E.

In another embodiment the clutch A can also be so provided, that theservo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is to be placed on that side of theouter disk carrier 40 of the clutch A which is proximal to the principalplanetary gear set 20, whereby an activation element of the servoapparatus 43 radially bypasses the disks 41 of the clutch A in the axialdirection of the primary planetary gear set 10 and activates the disks41 from their side which is proximal to the primary planetary gear set10.

In one embodiment, wherein the disk 71 of the clutch E possesses agreater diameter than the outside diameter of the outer disk carriers60, 40 of the clutches B and A, it is possible that the brake F, theclutch E up to its inner disk carrier 72, the primary planetary gear set10, the complete clutch B and the complete clutch A, successively, in asimple manner, can be placed within the transmission housing 30. Inanother embodiment, wherein the inner diameter of the disks 71 of theclutch E is smaller than the outside of the outer disk carriers 60, 40of the clutches B and A, by means of generally the same assemblysuccession operations, naturally after the assembly of the clutch A,whereby—upon a given outside diameter of the transmission housing30—compared to the previously proposed embodiment a totally larger diskdiameter is allowable for the clutches A and B. The latter has favorableaspects for the dimensioning of the clutches A and B, which, whencompared with the clutch E, must undergo in the most circumstances ofshifting, a higher torque.

In the differences to the previous component arrangement variants, FIG.18 displays a modified principal planetary gear set 20. The basicconstruction remains a Ravigneaux-Gear-Set with the individual planetarygear sets RS2 and RS3, however, in this case with a changed connectionof the their so-called free shafts. The planetary gear set RS2 remainsunchanged in its binding with the first shifting element A. Theplanetary gear set RS3 remains on the second and third shifting elementB, C. The first input element of the principal planetary gear set 20 isnow its large sun gear 22, the second input element is its small sungear 21 and the third input element is its internal gear 27. In thisarrangement, the large sun gear 22 is also now assigned to the planetarygear set RS2 and placed on that side of the principal planetary gear set20 which is proximal to the primary planetary gear set 10.Correspondingly, the small sun gear 21 is now assigned to the planetarygear set RS3. The coupled spiders 25 and 26 form now the output elementof the principal planetary gear set 20 and are actively bound with theoutput element of the output drive shaft 4. In the presented example ofthe multistage transmission, having an output drive transverse to itsinput drive, this effective binding is carried out as, possibly ahelical spur gear 9 interlock with the transverse shaft. The takeoffdrive over the coupled spiders 25, 26 has advantages in respect tolubrication means, since, upon the rotating output drive shaft 4—forexample, while the vehicle is rolling—always a relative movement ispresent at the bolts of the planetary gears. In the under part of theFIG. 18 are shown the exemplary and deviating still ratios of FIGS. 2A,2B of the individual gear sets RS1, RS2, RS3. In this matter, the singleplanetary gear set is denoted by RS1 of the primary planetary gear set10, and RS2 and RS3 respectively stand for the individual planetary gearsets of the multistage, principal gear set 20.

In the tenth component arrangement variant in accordance with FIG. 19,is proposed, as an essential deviation from the variant according toFIG. 18, not only is the servo apparatus 73 of the clutch E placed onthat side of the primary planetary gear set 10 which is remote from theprincipal planetary gear set 20, but also the disks 71 of the clutch Eare so located. In the illustrated embodiment, the disks 71 are thus, inradial dimensioning, underneath the disks 81 of the brake F. Showing nochange from FIG. 18, the input element of the clutch E is designed as anouter disk carrier 70 and servings as a cylinder opening in thedirection of the primary planetary gear set 10 with a disk-like section75, which borders on the disk-like section 84 of the inner disk carrier82 of the brake F, upon which the sun gear shaft 85 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 is supported in bearings and is bound with thecoupled spiders 15, 16 of the primary planetary gear set 10, as well aswith a cylindrical section 74, which extends itself in the radialdirection underneath the disks 81 of the brake F. The servo apparatus 73of the clutch E is now thus fully installed within the outer diskcarrier 70 of the brake E.

The output element of the clutch E is made to serve as the inner diskcarrier 72 and possesses a cylindrical section 76 and a disk-likesection 77. The cylindrical section 76 extends itself in the axialdirection completely over the clutches A and B. The disk-like section77, which in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20attaches itself onto the disk-like section 76, extends itself centrallyin the direction of the centerline axis up to the third shaft 5, whichpenetrates the support plate 35 coaxially above the second and first sungear shafts 7, 6 and binds the inner disk carrier 72 with the thirdinput element of the principal planetary gear set 20. Spatially, thedisk shaped section 77 of the output element of the clutch E is placedaxially between the disk-like section 47 of the output element of theclutch A, which said output element is doing duty as an outer diskcarrier 40 and is placed on the support plate 35 and in the area of itsouter diameter, is bound to an inner disk carrier of the brake D whichborders on the support plate 35.

The principal planetary gear set 20, depicted in FIG. 19 representsagain the exemplary Ravigneaux-Gear-Set described previously in FIG. 1and in FIG. 3 to FIG. 17. The spur gear 9 is placed on that side of theprincipal planetary gear set 20, which is proximal to the support plate35, i.e. proximal to the primary planetary gear set 10. Accordingly, thespur gear 9 now borders directly on the support plate 35 and supports,by means of said support plate 35, on the transmission housing 30. Inthis way, a second support plate can be omitted.

In the eleventh component-arrangement-variant in accordance with FIG. 20it is proposed, that not only the disks 71 of the clutch E are placedbetween the clutch A and the principal planetary gear set 20, but alsothe servo apparatus 73 of the clutch E. In the illustrated example, thedisks 71 possess, in this case, a diameter which is slightly greaterthan the diameters of the disks 41, 61 of the clutches A, B. In anotherembodiment, the same disks could be used for all three clutches A, B andE. Deviating from FIGS. 18, 19 the input element of the clutch E is nowdesigned as an inner disk carrier 72, with a cylindrical section 74,which extends itself axially over the clutches A and B and the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and is connected on that side of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 which is proximal to the motor drive shaft 1 andis further connected with the spiders 15, 16.

The output element of the clutch E correspondingly is designed as anouter disk carrier 70, in the shape of an open cylinder opening in thedirection of the primary planetary gear set 10 and having a shortcylindrical section 76 in the area of the disks 71 of the clutch E, aswell as with a far reaching disk-like section 77, which connects itselfto the cylindrical section 76 and—bordering directly on the supportplate 35—centrally in the direction of the transmission centerline axisextends itself to a support section of the support plate 35, up to thethird shaft 5, by means of which, the outer disk carrier 70 of theclutch E is connected with the third input element of the principalplanetary gear set 20. Accordingly, the outer disk carrier 70, by meansof the third shaft 5 is placed on the support plate 35. Obviously, it ispossible that the outer disk carrier 70 can also be affixed directly tothe support plate 35. The servo apparatus of the clutch E is locatedcompletely within the outer disk carrier 70 of the brake E. In this way,a simple course of action in the mounting of the clutch E is achieved inthe transmission housing 30.

The positioning of the spur gear 9, relative to the support plate 35 andto the planetary gear sets, represents the arrangement graphicallydescribed in FIG. 19. However, deviating from FIG. 19, FIG. 20 providesa component arrangement, wherein the brake D, by means of which thethird input element of the principal planetary gear set 20 is set, isnow placed between the spur gear 9 and the brake C. This placement,above the principal planetary gear set 20 allows saving in theconstruction length of the transmission. As has already been mentioned,the brake C is placed on that side of the multistage transmission, whichside is opposite to the motor drive shaft 1.

As has already been proposed for the component-arrangement-variant inaccordance with FIG. 18, it is possible, that in other embodiments ofthe arrangements shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, provision can be made to sospatially locate the servo apparatuses 43, 63 of the two clutches A, B,that the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A be placed on that side ofthe outside disk carrier 40 of the clutch A which is proximal to theprincipal planetary gear set 20. If this is done, then an activationelement of the servo apparatus 43 radially bypasses the disks 41 of theclutch A axially in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10and activates the disks 41 on their side which is proximal to theprimary planetary gear set 10, and/or that the servo apparatus 63 of theclutch B be placed on that side of the inner disk carrier 62 of theclutch B which is proximal to the principal planetary gear set 20.

FIG. 21 shows now a twelfth exemplary component-arrangement-variant of amulti-transmission with the first invented primary planetary gear set 10and advantageously axis parallel input and output drives, wherein thearrangement is predominately based on the detailed description of FIG.19, which showed the tenth component-arrangement-variant. The differenceto FIG. 19 concerns mainly the formation of the input and out putelements of the clutch A, the geometrical arrangement of the outputelement of the clutch B as well as the spatial disposition of the servoapparatuses 43, 63 of both clutches A, B. In FIG. 21, the proposal is,to construct both input elements of the clutches A, B as side-by-sidearranged outer disk carriers 40, 60, advantageously in such a manner,that for the disks 41, 61 both clutches A, B can employ the samecomponents. Both output elements of the clutches A, B arecorrespondingly designed as inner disk carriers 42, 62, advantageouslyessentially disk-like in form. The corresponding disk-like sections 47,67 of these output elements extend themselves centrally in the directionof the input drive shaft 3. In the complete example the inner diskcarrier 62 of the clutch B, which is nearer to the primary planetarygear set 10 than is the clutch A, is placed in a support section, whichconnects to the disk-like section 67, upon which the drive shaft 3 isrotatable borne. The inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A is placedcentrally onto the support section of the inner disk carrier 62 of theclutch B and therewith, at the same time, likewise indirectly placed onthe drive shaft 3 in a rotatable manner.

Taking consideration of the servo apparatuses 43, 63, of the clutches A,B, the proposal in FIG. 21 is that both servo apparatuses 43, 63 are tobe placed next to one another and axially between the inner diskcarriers 42, 62 of the clutches A, B. In this arrangement, the servoapparatus 63 of the clutch B is placed nearer to the primary planetarygear set 10 than is the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A, preferablyaxially, bordering on the disk-like section 67 of the output element ofthe clutch B, and activates the disks 61 of the clutch B in thedirection of the primary planetary gear set 10. The servo apparatus 43of the clutch A borders advantageously, axially on the disk-like section47 of the output element of the clutch A, and activates the disks 41 ofthe clutch A in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20.

In another embodiment, provision can be made, that the inner diskcarriers 42, 62 of the clutches A, B are placed directly beside oneanother. The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is, in this case, onthat side of the inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A which is remotefrom the primary planetary gear set 10 and activates the disks 41 of theclutch A now in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10. Theservo apparatus 63 of the clutch B is correspondingly on that side ofthe inner disk carrier 62 of the clutch B which is proximal to theprimary planetary gear set 10 and activates the disks 61 of the clutch Bnow in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20. In thiscase of this arrangement, it is possible that the outer disk carriers40, 60 of the clutches A, B can be advantageously made as a one-piececomponent, and the disks 41, 61 of both clutches A, B, upon activation,abut themselves on the same detent.

FIG. 22 shows a thirteenth exemplary component-arrangement-variant ofthe multistage transmission, with the first invented primary planetarygear set variant and wherein the output drive is placed transverse tothe input drive, essentially based on the present detailed descriptionof the ninth component-arrangement-variant as shown in FIG. 18. Thedifferences to FIG. 18 concern mainly the placements of the input andoutput elements of the clutch A as well as the spatial arrangement ofthe servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A. In accordance with FIG. 22, theproposal is now, that both input elements of the clutches A, B are to bedesigned as contiguously placed outer disk carriers 40, 60,advantageously of such a nature, that for the disks 41, 61 both clutchesA, B the same components can be used. In an unchanged feature, the disks61 of the clutch B are placed nearer to the primary planetary gear set10 than the disks 41 of the clutch A. Both output elements of theclutches A, B. are designed as inner disk carriers 42, 62,advantageously, predominately disk shaped. The placing of the outer andinner carriers 60, 62 of the clutch B on the drive shaft 3 correspondsto that presented in FIG. 18. Differing from FIG. 18, is now the innerdisk carrier 42 of the clutch A which is located above the third shaft5.

In accordance with FIG. 22, it is further proposed to place the servoapparatus 43 of the clutch A between the servo apparatus 73 of theclutch E and the primary planetary gear set 10. In such a case, anactivation element radially bypasses the servo apparatus 43 in the axialdirection over the primary planetary gear set 10, clutch B, the outerdisk carrier 40 and the clutch A and activates the disks 41 of theclutch A on that side of said disks which is remote from the primaryplanetary gear set 10. The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A also liescompletely inside the clutch space of the clutch E, which said space isformed by the cylindrical outside disk carrier 70 and the clutch E. Inan advantageous manner it is also possible to construct together as apreassembled unit the outer disk carrier 70 of the clutch E, the servoapparatus 73 of the clutch E and the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch Aand to accordingly install same. The pressure medium feed for theactivation of both clutches E, A and, if necessary, also the lubricationmeans input for a dynamic pressure compensation of one of two, or indeedboth the clutches E, A can be taken care of easily by correspondingchannels and borings within the projection 33 of the transmissionhousing wall 31 and within the sun gear shaft 85 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10, upon which the outer disk carrier is 70 of theclutch E is mounted. In an advantageous manner, both servo apparatuses73, 43 of the clutches E, A continually rotate with the same rotationalspeed of the transmission input, this being namely, n_(ein), whereby dryrunning of the piston space, and if required also the pressurecompensation space of both clutches E, A is prevented in theirnon-engaged condition.

FIG. 23 shows a fourteenth exemplary component-arrangement-variant ofthe multistage transmission with the first invented primary planetarygear variant and with, advantageously, axis parallel input and outputdrives. In difference from those exemplary component-arrangements of aninvented multistage transmission as presented in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 toFIG. 22, the transmission wall 31, onto which the brake F borders, asdoes the servo apparatus 83 of the brake F, is now the outer wall of thetransmission housing 30, which lies opposite to the motor drive shaft 1.As in the previous component-arrangement-variants, the disks 81 of thebrake F are placed advantageously in the transmission housing 30 withinthe greatest possible diameter. In the direction of the motor driveshaft 1 a component connects itself to the brake F, wherein thecomponent comprises the clutches A, B and the primary planetary gear set10. In the complete example the disks 41 of the clutch A are placedabove the primary planetary gear set 10. The disks 61 of the clutch B,in the direction of the motor drive shaft 1, are placed to beneighboring the disks 41 of the clutch A, and are, at least, of nearlythe same diameter. The disks 61 of the clutch B are also nearer to theprincipal planetary gear set 20 than are the disks 41 of the clutch Aand the disks 41 of the clutch A are thus nearer to the brake F than arethe disks 61 of the clutch B. The outer disk carriers 40, 60 of bothclutches A are connected with the internal gear 14 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10.

The primary planetary gear set 10 is above the cylindrical projection 33of the transmission housing wall 31, which projection further extendsitself in the direction of the motor drive shaft 1. The sun gear 11 ofthe primary planetary gear set 10 is over the sun gear shaft 85 of theprimary planetary gear set 10 and is connected to the inner disk carrier82 of the brake F, whereby this sun gear shaft 85 is supported on theprojection 33. Considering the arrangement of the servo apparatuses 43,63 of the clutches A, B, it is proposed in FIG. 23, that the outer diskcarrier 40 of the clutch A is constructed as a cylinder opening in thedirection of the motor drive shaft 1. A cylindrical section 44 of thisinput element of the clutch A extends axially in the direction of thebrake F, a disk-like section 45 attaches to this cylindrical section 44and extends centrally in the direction of the output shaft 3, up to asupport section, which is placed on the sun gear 85 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10. On that side of the primary planetary gear set 10which is proximal to the brake F, a disk-like output element 17 of theinternal gear 14 of the primary planetary gear set 10 extends itselfcentrally in the direction of the input shaft 3 up to the supportsection of the outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A and is thereconnected with this. The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is arrangedaxially between the disk-like output element 17 of the internal gear 14and the dislike section 45 of the entrance element of the clutch A andoperates the disks 41 of the clutch A in the direction of the motordrive shaft 1. The servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B is axiallyarranged between the disk-like section 45 of the entrance element of theclutch A and the disk-like section 84 of the inner disk carrier 82 ofthe brake F, whereby an activation element of the servo apparatus 63axially bypasses the outer disk carriers 40, 60 of both clutches A, B inthe direction of the motor drive shaft 1 and activates the disks 61 ofthe clutch B in the direction of the brake F. By means of thearrangement presented in FIG. 23, it is possible that the inner diskcarrier 82 of the brake F, the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B, bothouter disk carriers 40, 60 of the clutches A, B, the servo apparatus 43of the clutch A and the disks 41, 61 of both clutches A, B can be easilypreassembled to make an installable unit. In an advantageous manner, theservo apparatuses 43, 63 of both clutches A, B continually rotate at thesame rotational speed, namely n_(vs), of the primary planetary gear set10.

On that side of the transmission housing 30 which is proximal to themotor drive shaft 1 is placed the fifth shifting element E, which isdesigned as a clutch. With that arrangement, the outer disk carrier 70of the clutch E serving as the input element of the clutch E is bound tothe input shaft 3, which runs centrally completely through the entiretransmission up to the transmission housing wall 31, which closes thetransmission housing 30 from the outside on that side of said housing 30which is remote from the motor drive shaft 1. In that arrangement, theouter disk carrier 70 is constructed as a cylinder, which is open on itsside which is remote from the drive. The inner disk carrier 72 forms theoutput element of the clutch E and is connected with the third shaft 5.The third shaft 5 extends coaxially, directly above the drive shaft 3,axially in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20 and isconnected with the third input element of the principal planetary gearset 20. This connection is made by the coupled spiders 25, 26. The thirdshaft 5 can be placed, with this formation, on the input drive shaft 3.The servo apparatus 73 of the clutch E is placed within the cylindricalshape of the outer disk carrier 70 on the motor drive shaft 1, uponwhich that side of the inner disk carrier 72 of the clutch E.

On the input drive, that is, on that side of the clutch E which isremote from the input motor drive shaft 1, is placed the spur gear 9with the output drive shaft 4, advantageously bordering axially on theinner disk carrier 72 of the clutch E. The spur gear 9 is, by means ofan output shaft 28 of the principal planetary gear set 20—in therepresented example its internal gear 27—connected with the outputelement of said gear set, in particular, the internal gear thereof. Thisoutput shaft 28 extends itself coaxially immediately above the thirdshaft 5 in the axial direction. The input drive shaft 3, the third shaft5 and the output shaft 28 are all placed in coaxial, one over the otherarray and penetrate centrally through the support plate 35 which isbound to the transmission housing 30. In this arrangement, the spur gear9 borders, on its side which is remote from the clutch E, the supportplate 35. The output shaft 28 of the principal planetary gear set 20 isplaced directly in the support plate 35. In the depicted embodiment,third shaft 5 is placed within the output shaft 28 and is thereby alsocentral in the support plate 35. The principal planetary gear set 20 isplaced on that side of the support plate 35 which is remote from thespur gear 9 and, advantageously, contiguous to this.

The brake D, by which the third input element of the principal planetarygear set 20 is established, for the purpose of saving structuralstrength, is placed partially in a radial direction above the principalplanetary gear set 20 at a great diameter in the transmission housing30. In the illustrated example, disks 111 of the brake D are locatedabove the second (outer) planet gear 24 of the principal planetary gearset 20. In this way, the spider 26 of the second planetary gear set 24penetrates the principal planetary gear set 20 completely and isconnected with an inner disk carrier 112 of the brake D on that side ofthe principal planetary gear set 20 which is remote from the motor driveshaft 1. Accordingly, the inner disk carrier 112 is a cylinder openingin the direction of the motor drive shaft 1 and thereby a cylindricalsection 113 and a disk-like section 114 are created and these enclosethe second planet gear 24. On that side of the brake D, which is remotefrom the motor drive shaft 1, the brake C attaches itself axially on thebrake D, by means of the second input element—in the illustratedexample, that being the large sun gear 22—of the principal planetarygear set 20. The disks 101 of the brake C have the same diameter as thedisks 111 of the brake D, which exhibits the obvious advantages inmanufacture. In the illustrated example, the disks 101 of the brake Care placed at least predominately above the cylindrical section 113 ofthe inner disk carrier 112 of the brake D. In one embodiment, provisioncan also be made, that the disks 101 of the brake C, entirely orpartially, can be placed above the second (outer) planet gear 24 of theprincipal planetary gear set 20. As may be seen in FIG. 23 in inner diskcarrier 102 of the brake C is likewise constructed as a cylinder whichis open in the direction of the motor drive shaft 1, with an axiallyshort cylindrical section 103 and a disk-like section 104, and extendsitself centrally in the direction of the input power shaft 3 up to anaxially short second sun gear shaft 7. The second sun gear shaft 7connects the large sun gear 22 of the principal planetary gear set 20with the disk-like section 104 of the inner disk carrier 102 of thebrake C and a disk-like section 67 of the output element of the clutchB, which is serving as an inner disk carrier 62. The second sun gearshaft 7 is placed upon the first sun gear shaft 6, which connects thesmall sun gear 21 of the principal planetary gear set 20, as the firstinput element thereof, with a disk-like section 47 of the output elementof the clutch A serving as inner disk carrier 42. The first sun gearshaft 6, in turn, is placed directly on the input drive shaft 3, whichpenetrates centrally directly through the transmission. The disk-likesection 67 of the output element of the clutch B borders also axially onthat side of the disk-like section 104 of the inner disk carrier 102 ofthe brake C which is remote from the principal planetary gear set 20 andthe disk-like section 47 of the output element of the clutch A, in turn,borders axially on the disk-like section 67 on that side thereof whichis remote from the principal planetary gear set 20. Separate supportplate or housing wall axially located between the principal and theprimary planetary gear sets 20, 10 are not necessary, in order to placethe three coaxial, superimposed on one another shafts (drive shaft 3,first sun gear shaft 6, second sun gear shaft 7).

FIG. 24 shows a fifteenth exemplary component-arrangement-variant of themultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset and advantageously axis parallel input and output drives,essentially based on the fourteenth component-arrangement-variant asshown in FIG. 23 and described in detail therewith. In comparison toFIG. 23, first, the spatial disposition of the clutch E relative to thespur gear 9 and to the principal planetary gear set 20 is changed.Second, the spatial placement of the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch Bin relation to the disks 61 of the clutch B and to the primary planetarygear set 10, as well as to the clutch A. As is presented in FIG. 24, inthe fifteenth component-arrangement-variant of an invented multistagetransmission the proposal is, that the spur gear 9 and the activelytherewith connected output drive shaft 4 are placed directly on the thatside of the transmission housing 30, which is proximal to motor driveshaft 1 and therewith the (not shown) connected drive motor. In thisway, the support plate 35 forms the outer wall of the transmissionhousing 30 which is proximal to the motor drive shaft 1 and takes overthe support of the spur gear 9. On that side of the support plate 35,which is remote from the spur gear 9, the clutch E is connected in anaxial direction. The clutch E is now, spatially located between the spurgear 9 and the principal planetary gear set 20. The output element ofthe clutch E, which is serving as the outer disk carrier 70 isconstructed as a cylinder opening in the direction of the motor driveshaft 1, the section 77 of which borders on the coupled spiders 25, 26of the principal planetary gear set 20 and is therewith connected andplaced on the input drive shaft 3. The servo apparatus 73 of the clutchE is, advantageously, saving of construction space, is placed axiallybetween the inner disk carrier 72 and the outer disk carrier 70 of theclutch E, upon that side of the disks 71 of the clutch E which isproximal to the principal planetary gear set 20, that is to say, alsowithin the cylindrical shaped outer disk carrier 70 of the clutch E. Oneoutput element of the internal gear 27 of the principal planetary gearset 20, which is actively bound with the spur gear 9, thus radiallybypasses the clutch E, in the axial direction.

In another embodiment, provision can be made, that the servo apparatus73 of the clutch E be placed on that side of the inner disk carrier 72which is proximal to the spur gear 9 and the disks 71 of the clutch Eare to be activated in the direction of the principal planetary gear set20. With this arrangement, a separate placement of the servo apparatus73 onto the input drive shaft 3 is necessary, whereby the servoapparatus 73 of the clutch E then, however, in an advantageous manner,always rotates with the transmission input speed of rotation n_(ein).

In accordance with FIG. 24, also proposed, is that the servo apparatus63 of the clutch B be placed spatially between the principal and theprimary planetary gear sets 10, 20, advantageously directly axiallybetween the two inner disk carriers 62, 42 of the clutches B, A. Thus,the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B, in reference to the primaryplanetary gear set 10 is placed opposite to the servo apparatus 43 ofthe clutch A and activates the disks 61 of the clutch B in the directionof the principal planetary gear set 20.

FIG. 25 shows a sixteenth exemplary component-arrangement-variant of amultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset variant and advantageously, axis parallel input and output drives,being based on the fifteenth component-arrangement-variant in accordancewith FIG. 24. Contrary to the fifteenth component-arrangement-variant isnow the spatial disposition of the clutch B relative to the clutch A, tothe primary planetary gear set 10 and to the brake F. Beyond this, theinput element of the clutch A is now designed as inner disk carrier 42and the output element of the clutch A is to serve as outer disk carrier40.

The placement of the brake F in the transmission housing 30, borderingon that transmission wall 31 situated opposite to the (not shown) drivemotor remains unchanged from the situation in FIG. 24. Likewise thespatial position of the disks 41 of the clutch A relative to the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and to the brake F have not been changed. Theinput element of the clutch A, now serving as inner disk carrier 42 isdirectly above the primary planetary gear set 10 and is bound to theinternal gear 10 of said gear set. The output element of the clutch A,now designed as outer disk carrier 40, possesses the shape of a cylinderopening in the direction of the brake F, with a cylindrical section 46which extends itself from the disks 41 of the clutch A out in thedirection of the principal planetary gear set 20, and connects with adisk-like section 47, which fastens itself onto the cylindrical section46 and extends centrally in the direction of the input drive shaft 3 upto the first sun gear shaft 6 with which it is connected and which isfastened onto the input drive shaft 3. The servo apparatus 43 of theclutch A is located within the cylindrically shaped outer disk carrier40 of the clutch A, and is axially located between the disk-like section47 and the primary planetary gear set 10 and activates the disks 41 ofthe clutch A in the direction of the brake F.

Especially the disks 61 and the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B arenow placed on that side of the primary planetary gear set 10 which isproximal to the brake F, thus being on that side of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 which is remote from the principal planetary gearset 20. In this arrangement, the input element of the clutch B—as inFIG. 24—which is in the form of outer disk carrier 60, is constructed asa cylinder opening in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10and has a cylindrical section 64, which extends itself underneath thedisks 81 of the brake F in the axial direction from the disks 61 of theclutch B in the direction of the transmission housing wall 31, and witha disk-like section 65, which attaches to the cylindrical section 64 andextends centrally in the direction of the input dive shaft 3 up to asupport section radially above the sun gear shaft 85 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10, which in turn, is placed upon the projection 33of the transmission housing wall 31. In this arrangement, the disk-likesection 65 of the input element of the clutch B borders directly ontothe disk-like section 84 of the inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F.The brake F is placed on that side of its servo apparatus 83, which isattached to the transmission housing wall 31 and which said side isproximal to the primary planetary gear set 10. On that side of theprimary planetary gear set 10 which is proximal to the brake F as wellas proximal to the transmission housing wall 31, thus on that side ofthe primary planetary gear set 10 which is remote from the principalplanetary gear set 20, there extends an at least partially disk-likeoutput element 17, running centrally in the direction of the input drive3 or of the sun gear shaft 85 up to the support section of the outerdisk carrier 60 of the clutch B on the sun gear shaft 85 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and, in that place is bound to the outer diskcarrier 60.

The servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B is placed axially between thedisk-like output element 17 of the internal gear 14 and the disk-likesection 65 of the input element of the clutch B, with in the cylindershaped outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B and activates the disks 61of the clutch B in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10 orthe primary planetary gear set 20 or, in other words, in the directionof the drive motor. Disks 61 and the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch Bare also placed radially above the cylindrical projection 33 of thetransmission housing wall 31, upon which also the inner disk carrier 82of the brake F is placed. Outer disk carrier 60 and the servo apparatus63 of the clutch B can also, in a very simple way, be preassembled andinserted as one combined component into the inner disk carrier 82 of thebrake F.

The output element of the clutch B, which serves as inner disk carrier62, possesses the form of a cylinder opening in the direction of brakeF, with a cylindrical section 66, which extends itself in an axialdirection from the disks 61 of the clutch B in the direction of theprincipal planetary gear set 20 (that is to say, in the direction of thebrake C) passing entirely radially over the clutch A, and having adisk-like section 67, which attaches to the section 66 and is connectedto the inner disk carrier 102 of the brake C and runs centrally in thedirection of the drive shaft 3 up to the second sun gear shaft 7 whichis found coaxially placed above the first sun gear shaft 6, and isplaced upon the first sun gear shaft 6 and connects the inner diskcarrier 62 of the clutch B with the second input element of theprincipal planetary gear set 20. Thus the output element of the clutch Bcompletely bypasses the primary planetary gear set 10 and the clutch A.

From the standpoint of manufacturing technology, the use of identicalparts for the disks 41, 61 of both clutches A, B can be provided.

FIG. 26 shows a seventeenth exemplary component-arrangement-variant of amultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset variant and advantageously, an output drive being transverse to aninput drive. Compared to the previously examined sixteenthcomponent-arrangement-variant illustrated in FIG. 25, now the clutch Eis spatially disposed between the principal and the primary planetarygear sets 20, 10, directly bordering on the primary planetary gear set10. In this arrangement, the clutch E, especially its disks 71 and itsservo apparatus 73 are placed completely within the cylindrical shapedouter disk carrier 40 of the clutch A. Advantageously, the inner diskcarrier 72 of the clutch E, acting as its input element, bordersdirectly on the primary planetary gear set 10. Accordingly, the outerdisk carrier 70 of the clutch E, which said carrier is a cylinderopening in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10, hereserving as output element of the clutch E, and said carrier now borderson the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A and is centrally bound withthe third shaft 5. The third shaft 5 runs now coaxially directly abovethe drive shaft 3, and is placed thereon. The shaft 5 thus centrallypenetrates the principal planetary gear set 20 and connects the outerdisk carrier 70 with the third input element of the principal planetarygear set 20 on that side thereof which is remote from the primaryplanetary gear set 10. Accordingly, the first sun gear shaft 6, by meansof which the outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A is connected to thefirst input element of the principal planetary gear set 20, now runscoaxially above the third shaft 5 and is advantageously connected tothis said shaft 5. The servo apparatus 73 activates the disks 71 of theclutch E in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10. Thearrangement in accordance with FIG. 26 enables a simple pre-assembly ofthe complete clutch E with the outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A.

FIG. 27 shows a eighteenth exemplary component-arrangement-variant of amultistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset variant and advantageously, axis parallel input and output drives,being based on the fourteenth component-arrangement-variant inaccordance with FIG. 23.

Compared to FIG. 23, the component-arrangement-variant shown in FIG. 27differs therefrom, in that a changed arrangement of the of the servoapparatuses 43, 63 of the two clutches A and B which change incorporatesa slightly different spatial positioning of the disk 41 of the clutch Ain relation to the primary planetary gear set 10, as well as by analtered component geometry of the inner disk carriers 42, 62 and 102 ofthe three shifting elements A, B. and C. Not changed are the outer diskcarriers 40, 60 of the two clutches A, B with their disks 41, 61directly next to one another, advantageously with the same diskdiameter. Relative to the primary planetary gear set 10, the disks 41 ofthe clutch A are no axially located next to the primary planetary gearset 10, at the side of which is proximal to the principal planetary gearset 20. The outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A, which carrier isbound to the outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B, is, by means of anaxially relatively short cylindrical section 44 connected to theinternal gear 14 of the primary planetary gear set 10. The predominatelydisk-like constructed inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A extendsitself centrally in the direction of the input drive shaft 3 up to thefirst sun gear shaft, which runs coaxially with the input drive shaft 3and is connected thereto, and is bound with the first sun gear shaft 6.The predominately disk shaped inner disk carrier 62 of the clutch Bextends itself—directly axially in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20, bordering on the inner disk carrier 42 of theclutch A—centrally in the direction of the input drive shaft 3, up tothe second sun gear shaft 7, which said shaft 7 runs coaxially above thefirst sun gear shaft 6. The disk carrier 62, so placed, is bound to thesecond sun gear shaft 7.

The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is placed axially between theprimary planetary gear set 10 and the inner disk carrier 42 of theclutch A and activates the disks 41 of the clutch A in the direction ofthe principal planetary gear set 20. The servo apparatus 63 of theclutch B is placed axially between the inner disk carrier 62 of theclutch B and the likewise predominately disk-like inner disk carrier 102of the brake C, preferably axially in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20, immediately bordering on the inner disk carrier62 of the clutch B, and activates the disks 61 of the clutch B in thedirection of the primary planetary gear set 10. The inner disk carrier102 of the brake C extends itself, in this arrangement, centrally in thedirection of the input drive shaft 3 up to the second sun gear shaft 7,with which it connects.

The disks 81 of the brake F remain unchanged and placed at the greatestpossible diameter within the transmission housing 30 in that area of thetransmission housing wall 31 which is distal from the motor. In theillustrated embodiment, at least predominately in the axial directionbeside the primary planetary gear set 10. The inner disk carrier 82 ofthe brake F is now likewise constructed to be generally disk-like and isconnected by means of the corresponding axial, short, sun gear shaft 85of the primary planetary gear set 10 and is bound to the sun gear 11thereof. The projection 33 of the transmission housing wall 31 is alsocorrespondingly short and thereon is placed the sun gear shaft 85. Theservo apparatus 83 of the brake F is placed between the disk-like innerdisk carrier 82 and the transmission housing wall 31, however, it ispossible that the servo apparatus 83 can be integrated into thetransmission housing wall 31.

FIG. 28 shows a nineteenth exemplary component-arrangement-variant ofthe multistage transmission with the first invented primary planetarygear set and advantageously axis parallel input and output drives. Thisis essentially based on the component-arrangement-variant as shown inFIG. 27. However, in FIG. 28 the proposal is to place the clutch E notbetween the—not shown—driving motor of the transmission and the spurgear 9, but rather to take the arrangement of the clutch E from FIG. 24and to locate the clutch E spatially placed between the spur gear 9 andthe principal planetary gear set 20. For an improved placement of theout outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A, it is proposed to providebetween the clutch A and the primary planetary gear set 10 an additionalthird support plate 38, which plate is connected with the transmissionhousing 30. Obviously, the possibility exists, that the third supportplate 38 and the transmission housing 30 can be made as one-piece. Asmay be seen in FIG. 28, the outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A isconstructed as a cylinder, which opens in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20. The disk shaped section 45 of this input elementof the clutch A extends itself centrally in the direction of the inputdrive shaft 3 up to an axially short, intervening shaft 8 which runscoaxially, directly above the input drive shaft 3, and extends itselfaxially in the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10, which isplaced within the third support plate 38 and the outer disk carrier 40of the clutch A, by means of the disk-like output element 17 isconnected to the internal gear 14 of the primary planetary gear set 10.With this arrangement, the disk-like output element 17 on that side ofthe third support plate 38 which is proximal to the primary planetarygear set 10, borders this third support plate 38. Obviously, thepossibility exists, that the intervening shaft 8 can also be placeddirectly on the drive shaft 3.

In the illustrated example, the disks 81 of the brake F—contrary to FIG.27—are now placed predominately in a radial direction above the internalgear 14 of this primary planetary gear set 10, as has been shown in somepreviously described component-arrangement-variants.

The following component-arrangement-variant of an invented multistagetransmission with the first invented primary planetary gear set variantand advantageously, axis parallel input and output drives in accordancewith FIGS. 29-33, possess in accordance with FIG. 18, the described andexplained principal planetary gear set 20. The component item is again,unchanged, still being the Ravigneaux Gear Set, but with the large sungear 22 as a first input element, with the small sun gear 21 as a secondinput element, with the internal gear 27 as a third input element, aswell as with the coupled spiders 25, 26 serving as the output element ofthe principal planetary gear set 20. In thecomponent-arrangement-variants as depicted in FIG. 29 to FIG. 31, as adifference to FIG. 18, the small sun gear 21 is placed on that side ofthe principal planetary gear set 20 which is proximal to the primaryplanetary gear set 10. In the component-arrangement-variant as seen inaccordance with FIG. 32 and FIG. 33, analogous to FIG. 18, the large sungear 22 is placed in that side of the principal planetary gear set 20which is proximal to the primary planetary gear set 10. The assignedstill-ratios can be taken from the table in FIG. 18.

In the component-arrangement-variants in accordance with FIG. 29 to FIG.31, the fifth shifting element E, constructed as a clutch, isrespectively placed on the input drive side, thus on that side of thetransmission housing 30, which is proximal to the (not shown) drivemotor. The transmission input drive shaft 3, which is actively connectedwith the drive shaft 1 of the motor, and with which an input element ofthe clutch E is connected, completely penetrates the transmissioncentrally in the axial direction. The sixth, shifting element F, servingas a brake, is placed on that side of the transmission which liesopposite to the motor and in a radial direction above the extendingprojection 33 of the transmission housing wall 31, which extends itselfin the inner space of the housing 30. In this arrangement, thetransmission housing wall 31 simultaneously forms the outerwall of thetransmission housing 30 and in an axial direction, the sixth shiftingelement F borders on the housing wall 31. The principal planetary gearset 20 is nearer to the clutch E, that is to say, nearer to the drivemotor than is the primary planetary gear set 10. The primary planetarygear set 10 is nearer to the brake F than is the principal planetarygear set 20. The spur gear 9 and the therewith actively connected outputdrive shaft 4 are, in axial direction, approximately located in themiddle of the transmission, spatially between the principal and theprimary planetary gear sets 20 and 10, directly bordering on theprincipal planetary gear set 20 on its side which is proximal to theprimary planetary gear set 10. In this arrangement the spur gear 9 isalways located above the support plate 35 on the transmission housing30, whereby the support plate 35 borders, in the axial direction, on thespur gear 9 on its side which is remote from the principal planetarygear set 20 and is bound to the transmission housing 30. Obviously, itis possible, that the transmission housing 30 and the support plate 35can also be made in a one-piece construction.

In the twentieth exemplary component—arrangement-variant illustrated inFIG. 29, proposed is that the clutch E, which is placed on the inputdrive side of the multistage transmission borders directly on theprincipal planetary gear set 20. In this arrangement, the at least mostpredominately disk-like designed inner disk carrier 72 of the clutch E,serving as the input element thereof, is connected with the input driveshaft 3. The disks 71 of the clutch E border on that side of the outerwall of the transmission housing 30, which is proximal to the motordrive shaft 1 and are set at the greatest diameter possible within thetransmission housing 30. Obviously, it is possible that this outer wallcan also be made as a separate cover, which is bound to the transmissionhousing 30. The output element of the clutch E is designed as an outerdisk carrier 70 and possesses a cylindrical section 76, which extends inthe axial direction up to the internal gear 27 of the principalplanetary gear set 20 and is bound therewith. A cylindrical section 114of the inner disk carrier 112 of the brake D attaches itself to thecylindrically shaped section 76 in a position axially in the directionof the primary planetary gear set 10 and radially above the internalgear 27. The cylindrical section 114 connected with both thecylindrically shaped section 76 as well as with the internal gear 27,which, in this detailed example forms the third input element of theprincipal planetary gear set 20. The servo element 73 of the clutch E isspatially placed between the inner disk carrier 72 of the clutch E andthe principal planetary gear set 20 and activates the disks 71 of theclutch E from their side which is proximal to the principal planetarygear set 20. In an advantageous manner, the servo apparatus 73 of theclutch E now rotates continually with the transmission input rotaryspeed, namely n_(ein), whereby an undesirable dry-run situation of therotating piston space and—insofar as provided in the practicalconstruction of the servo apparatus—of the rotating pressurecompensation space of the clutch E, when in its non-engage condition, isreliably prevented.

The large sun gear 22 of the principal planetary gear set 20 is placedon that side of the principal planetary gear set 20 which is proximal tothe input motor drive shaft 1 and is connected with the first sun gearshaft 6. The first sun gear shaft 6 extends itself coaxially directlyabove the drive shaft 3, the extension being axial in the direction ofthe primary planetary gear set 10. The first sun gear shaft is furthersupported on the drive shaft 3 and penetrates the principal planetarygear set 20, the spur gear 9 and the support plate 35 as well as theoutput element of the clutch B, which here is serving as an inner diskcarrier 62 and is connected with a disk-like section 47 of outputelement of the clutch A which is serving here as inner disk carrier 42.The small sun gear 21 of the principal planetary gear set 20 is placedon that side of the principal planetary gear set which is proximal tothe primary planetary gear set and is connected with the second sun gearshaft 7. The second sun gear shaft 7 extends itself coaxiallyimmediately above the first sun gear shaft 6 axially in the direction ofthe primary planetary gear set 10 and is, for example, placed on thefirst sun gear shaft 6 and penetrates the spur gear 9 and the supportplate 35 centrally and is connected to a disk-like section 67 of theoutput element of the clutch B, which said output element here serves asan inner disk carrier 62.

The large sun gear 22 of the main planetary set 20 is arranged and withthe first sun gear shaft 6 connected on the motor shaft 1 turned sidesof the main planetary gear set 20. The first sun gear shaft 6 extendscoaxially toward connecting planetary gear set 10, for example, isstored on the drive shaft 3, penetrates the man planetary gear set 20,the spur gear 9 and the base plate 35 as well as the inner disk carrier62 trained output element of the clutch B centrically and is connectedwith a disk-like section 47 here as inner disk carrier 42 of the trainedoutput element of the clutch A. The small sun gear 21 of the mainplanetary gear set 20 is arranged with a second sun gear shaft 7connected on the connecting planetary gear set 10 turned side of themain planetary gear set 20. The second sun gear shaft 7 extendscoaxially directly above the first sun gear shaft 6 toward connectingplanetary gear set 10, for example, is stored on the first sun gear 6,penetrates the spur gear 9 and the base plate 35 centrically and isconnected with a disk-like section 67 here as inner disk carrier 62 ofthe trained output element of the clutch B.

Attaching themselves to the support plate 35, axially in the directionof the transmission housing wall 31, thus, in the direction of that sideof the multistage transmission remote from the motor, are the followingcomponents, in the given succession, namely the brake C, the clutch B,the clutch A of the primary planetary gear set 10 and the brake F.Without a detailed description of the spatial arrangement of the brakeF, the connecting planetary gear set 10, the disks 41, 61, 101 of theclutches A, B, C as well as the interconnected outer disk carriers 40,60 of the clutches A, B as their entrance elements relative to eachother can be done here, because their arrangement has been taken overfor placement in FIG. 29 without change from the previously mentionedeighteenth component-arrangement-variant shown in FIG. 27, a detailedexplanation of the following components will be here omitted. Comparedto FIG. 27 the formation of the inner disk carriers 42, 62 of bothclutches A, B as well as the arrangement of the servo apparatus 63 ofthe clutch B has been modified. Both output elements of the clutches A,B, which here are respectively serving as inner disk carriers 42, 62 nowpossess the shape of a cylinder opening in the direction of the primaryplanetary gear set 10, having, respectively cylindrical section 46, 66and respectively a disk-like section 47, 67. In that area, in which thecylindrical section 66 of the output element of the clutch B transitionsinto the disk-like shaped section 67, the inner disk carrier 102 of thebrake C connects with this output element of the clutch B. The servoapparatus 43 of the clutch A is spatially placed between the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and the inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A, theservo apparatus 63 of the clutch B is placed between the inner diskcarrier 42 of the clutch A and the inner disk carrier 62 of the clutchB. The disks 41, 61 of both clutches are activated in the direction ofthe principal planetary gear set 20. The bent manner of construction andthe mutual encapsulation of both inner disk carriers 42, 62, togetherwith the servo apparatuses 43, 63 of both clutches A, B, enable a verycompact assembly of this component group, whereby especially, radiallyunder the respective cylindrical section 46, 66 of the inner diskcarrier 42, 62, workroom is created for the dynamic pressurecompensation of the individual clutch.

FIG. 30 shows a twenty first exemplary component-arrangement-variant ofa multistage transmission with the first invented primary planetary gearset variant and advantageously, axis parallel input and output drives,derived from the previous component-arrangement-variant in accordancewith FIG. 29. Compared with FIG. 29, here the arrangement of the clutchA is essentially changed. Proposed is, that the clutch A is now to beplaced spatially between the clutch E and the principal planetary gearset 20, that is, on the side of the principal planetary gear set 20which is remote from the spur gear 9 and the primary planetary gear set10, that is, advantageously directly bordering on the principalplanetary gear set 20 and the clutch E.

The servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B borders, without change, axiallyin the direction of the primary planetary gear set 10 on the disk-likesection 67 of the output element of the clutch B, here serving as theinner disk carrier 62. Between the servo apparatus 63 of the clutch Band the primary planetary gear set 10, is now provided a cylindricaloutput drive element 18, which, first, is bound with the internal gear14 of the primary planetary gear set 10 and second, with a interposedshaft 8. This interposed shaft 8 extends itself coaxially directly abovethe input drive shaft 3 in an axial direction from the primary planetarygear set 10 to the input element of the clutch A which is here servingas outer disk carrier 40. In doing this, the interposed shaft 8 passescentrally through the clutch space of the clutch B formed by the innerdisk carrier 62, the second sun gear shaft 7 the support plate 35 andthe spur gear 9 as well as the principal planetary gear set 20 and theoutput element of the clutch A which here serves as inner disk carrier42. In the illustrated example, the interposed shaft 8 is placeddirectly on input drive shaft 3 and the third sun gear shaft 7, is inturn, placed on the interposed shaft 8. For example, provision can bemade, that the second sun gear shaft 7 additionally, or even exclusivelycan be placed in the support plate 35.

To achieve an improved placement of the unchanged input elements of theof the clutch B, which are serving as outer disk carriers 60, thepredominately cylindrical shaped section 64 extends outward, which saidsection is axially connected with the internal gear of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 in the direction of the brake F above the primaryplanetary gear set 10. To this cylindrical section 64, a disk-likesection 65 attaches, and extends centrally in the direction of the inputdrive shaft 3 up to the sun gear shaft 85 of the primary planetary gearset 10, which binds the sun gear 11 to the inner disk carrier 82 of thebrake F. The disk-like section 65 extends also between the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and the disk-like section 84 of the inner diskcarrier 82 of the brake F. By means of a corresponding support sectionof the disk-like section 65, the outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch Bis placed upon the sun gear shaft 85 of the primary planetary gear set10.

As has already been mentioned, the clutch E is now placed on that sideof the transmission housing 30, which is proximal to the (not shown)motor, whereby the inner disk carrier 72 of the clutch E is designed(without change) to be disk-like and is bound to the input shaft 3. As avariant to the arrangement of the servo apparatus 73 of the clutch E, asdescribed in FIG. 29, it is proposed in FIG. 30 to place the servoapparatus 73 of the clutch E on that side of the disks 71 which areremote from the principal planetary gear set 20. Accordingly, the disks71 of the clutch E are activated in the direction of the principalplanetary gear set 20. For the reception of the servo apparatus 73within the outer disk carrier 70 of the clutch E for the placement ofthe outer disk carrier 70 onto the input drive shaft 3, the cylindricalsection 76 extends itself as an output element of the clutch E, servingas an outer disk carrier 70, axially in the direction of the motor, overthe disks 71 and the servo apparatus 73, up to an approach to the outerwall of the transmission housing 30. A disk-like section 77, whichborders the outer wall attaches itself to the cylindrical section 76 ofthe output element of the clutch E and, by means of a correspondinglydesigned support section, is carried by the cylindrical section 76.

As above, the clutch A is now spatially located between the clutch E andthe principal planetary gear set 20. With this configuration, the inputelement of the clutch A is designed as an outer disk carrier 40, in theform of an cylinder opening in the direction of the principal planetarygear set 20, having a cylindrical section 44, which extends itselfbetween the clutch A and the disks 71 of the clutch E and, with adisk-like section 45, which attaches itself onto the cylindrical section44 and extends itself centrally in the direction of the input shaft 3 upto the interposed shaft 8—running coaxially above the input drive shaft3—and is connected to this interposed shaft 8. With this arrangement,the disk-like section 45 borders directly onto the disk-like inner diskcarrier 72 of the clutch E, The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A isplaced within the cylindrical outer carrier 40 of the clutch A, andactivates the disks 41 in the direction of the principal planetary gearset 20. The inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A, which hasadvantageously been designed in a disk-like manner, extends itselfcentrally in the direction of the input shaft 3 up to the interposedshaft 8, upon which it is placed. This support section of the inner diskcarrier 42, directly radially above the interposed shaft 8 can beinterpreted as a first, axial sun gear shaft 6, by which the inner diskcarrier 42 of the clutch A connects with the first input element of theprincipal planetary gear set 20.

As may be seen in FIG. 30, the output element of the clutch E bypassesthe clutch A entirely. For reasons concerning ease of assembly of theouter disk carrier 40 of the clutch A, within the outer disk carrier 70of the clutch E, the disks 41 of the clutch A have a slightly smallerdiameter than do the disks 71 of the clutch E. The brake D, shown to beradially above the clutch A can, obviously, also be above the internalgear 27 of the principal planetary gear set 20.

FIG. 31 shows a twenty-second exemplary component-arrangement-variant ofthe multistage transmission with the first invented primary planetarygear set variant and advantageously axis parallel input and outputdrives, essentially based on the previous component-arrangement-variantas shown in FIG. 30. The changes in comparison to FIG. 30 involvepredominately, the formation of the input and the output elements of theclutch E as well as the geometric arrangement of the input element ofthe clutch B and the spatial positioning of the servo apparatus 63 ofthe clutch B. What is proposed here is, that the input element of theclutch E is to fulfill the function of an outer disk carrier 70. An atleast generally disk-like section 75 of this input element of the clutchE is bound to the input drive shaft 3, extends parallel to the outerwall of the transmission housing 30 which said outer wall is proximal tothe motor shaft 1 and, as may be seen in the attached illustratedexample, is further attached to this said outer wall. A cylindricalsection 74 of the input element of the clutch E attaches itself at thegreatest possible diameter to the disk-like section 75, and extendsaxially in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20 up tothe disks 71 of the clutch E. The output element of the clutch E is toserve as inner disk carrier 72 and possesses, at least, a predominatelycylindrical section 76, which extends over the internal gear 27 of theprincipal planetary gear set 20 and is connected to the internal gear27. In this arrangement, the output element of the clutch E completelybypasses the clutch A. The brake D is to be found in a radial directionabove the internal gear 27, the inner disk carrier 112 of said brake D,as well as the cylindrical section 76 of the output element of theclutch E are bound to the internal gear 27. The servo apparatus 73 ofthe clutch E borders on the disk-like section 75 of the input element ofthe clutch E, axially in the direction of the principal planetary gearset 20 and activates the disks 71 of the clutch E in the direction ofthe principal planetary gear set 20. In this arrangement, the servoapparatus 73 is placed completely within the driven outer disk carrier70 of the clutch E and rotates in an advantageous manner, continuallywith the transmission input speed of rotation, namely n_(ein). Furtheradvantages arise due to the possibility of a simple pre-assembly of thecomplete clutches E and A as a unified component, that is to say,additionally together with the inner disk carrier of the brake D.

Giving consideration to the placement of the servo apparatus 63 of theclutch B, the proposal is, that this is now to be predominately locatedon that side of the primary planetary gear set 10 which is remote fromthe principal planetary gear set 20, whereby an activation element ofthe servo apparatus 63 bypasses the internal gear 14 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10 and activates the disks 61 of the clutch B in thedirection of the principal planetary gear set 20. The placement shown inFIG. 31 of the servo apparatus 63, the hereto assigned geometricformation of the cylindrical outer disk carrier 60 of the clutch B andthe connection of the outer disk carrier 60 by means of the disk-likeoutput element 17 by the internal gear 14 to the principal planetarygear set 10 has already been described in the secondcomponent-arrangement-variant and illustrated in FIG. 6.

Since, the input drive shaft 3, as previously described and illustratedin FIGS. 18 to 31, concerning the ninth to twenty-secondcomponent-arrangement-variant of the entire transmission, axiallypenetrates the entire transmission up to the outer wall of thetransmission housing 30, it is possible to provide in various otherdesigns of the ninth to twenty-second component-arrangement-variants,wherein the motor shaft 1, and therewith the drive motor of themultistage transmission can be externally placed, respectively, at theother outer end of the transmission housing 30, thus bordering on thetransmission wall 31 which, in turn, is borders inside by the brake F.

Now giving consideration to FIGS. 32 and 33, two additional exemplarycomponent-arrangement-variant of the multistage transmission with thefirst invented primary planetary gear set variant and advantageouslyaxis parallel input and output drives, are described, wherein theprimary planetary gear set 10, clutch E and brake F are placed togetheron the side of the principal planetary gear set 20, which said gear setlies opposite to the motor shaft 1 and therewith, the (not shown) motorof the multistage transmission. The brake F is, in this arrangement, isplaced directly contiguous to the transmission housing wall 31, whichwall forms the outer wall of the transmission housing 30 which liesopposite to the motor shaft 1. The disks 81 of the brake F are locatedwithin the transmission housing 30, and situated at the greatestpossible diameter to save on transmission length. The inner disk carrier82 of the brake F serves as an open cylinder opening in the direction ofthe motor shaft 1 and in the projection 33 and is secured on thetransmission wall 31 and, by means of the sun gear shaft 85 of theprimary planetary gear set 10 is bound to the sun gear shaft 11 of thesame. The servo apparatus 83 of the brake F is placed axially betweenthe transmission wall 31 and the inner disk carrier 82 and activates thedisks 81 of the brake F in the direction of the motor shaft 1.

The input element of the clutch E, which, in the direction of the motorshaft 1, serves as the outer disk carrier 70, borders the inner diskcarrier 82 of the brake F. In this arrangement, the input element of theclutch E has a disk shaped section 75, which borders directly on theinner disk carrier 82 of the brake F, upon which the sun gear shaft 85of the primary planetary gear set 10 is supported and, with the coupledspiders 15, 16 of said gear set, is secured on its side located oppositeto the motor shaft 1. The coupled spiders 15, 16, in turn, penetrate theprimary planetary gear set 10 and, on that side thereof, which isproximal to the motor shaft 1 are connected to the motor shaft 1. In theillustrated example, the coupled spiders 15, 16 are supported also onthe projection 33 which protrudes from the housing wall 31 and extendscorrespondingly axially over the sun gear 11 of the primary planetarygear set 10. Further, the input element of the clutch E has acylindrical section 74, which attaches onto the outer circumference ofthe disk-like section 75 and extends axially in the direction of themotor shaft 1 over the primary planetary gear set 10 to the disks 71 ofthe clutch E. The disks 71 are placed at least partially beside theprimary planetary gear set 10, on the side thereof which is proximal tothe motor shaft 1. The diameter of the disks 71 is, advantageously, onlyslightly smaller than the diameter of the disks 81 of the brake F andadvantageously, clearly larger than the outer diameter of the internalgear 14 of the primary planetary gear set 10. The servo apparatus 73 ofthe clutch E is placed within the outer disk carrier 70, generallyaxially, between the disk-like section 75 and the primary planetary gearset 10, whereby an activation element of the servo apparatus 73,bypasses the internal gear 14 and activates the disks 71 in thedirection of the motor shaft 1. The primary planetary gear set 10 isalso placed completely within that clutch space of the clutch E, whichspace is formed by the outer disk carrier 70. The output element of theclutch E is correspondingly designed as the inner disk carrier 72, witha cylindrical section 76, which extends itself axially from the disks 71in the direction of the motor shaft 1 up to the internal gear 27 of theprincipal planetary gear set 20, with which it is connected. In thissituation, the brake D is placed above and connected to this internalgear 27 and further also connected to the cylindrical section 76. Suchan arrangement for the servo apparatus 73 for the clutch E, prevents, inan advantageous manner, an empty run of the clutch space, that is tosay, also the clutch compensation space, when the clutch E is notengaged. This is due to the fact, that the servo apparatus 73continually rotates at the rotational speed of the transmission inputspeed, namely n_(ein). In this way, the shifting ease upon successiveshifting of the clutch E is improved, especially after a long idle timein a non-shifting condition.

In the twenty third component-arrangement-variant in accordance withFIG. 32, a further proposal is made, in particular, that the clutch A bespatially positioned between the primary planetary gear set 10 and theprincipal planetary gear set 20, in a radial direction underneath thecylindrical section 76 of the output element of the clutch E. When socarried out, then the input element of the clutch A serves as an outerdick carrier 40, in the form of a cylinder open in the direction of themotor shaft 1, and bound with the internal gear 14 of the primaryplanetary gear set 10. A disk-like section 45 of this input element ofthe clutch A extends itself on the side of the disks 41 of the clutch A,which side is proximal to the primary planetary gear set 10, and theextension continues centrally in the direction of the input drive shaft3 and the disk-like section is attached to said shaft 3. This supportsection of the outer disk carrier 40 is bound with the interposed shaft8, which runs directly above the input drive shaft 3 and axially in thedirection of the motor shaft 1 up to the outer, motor sided wall of thetransmission housing 30, and accordingly, centrally penetrates theprincipal planetary gear set 20. At the same time, the interposed shaft8 forms the rotatable, active connection between the output element ofthe primary planetary gear set 10 and the input element of the clutch B.The disk-like inner disk carrier 42 of the clutch A extends itselfcentrally in the direction of the input shaft 3 up to the interposedshaft 8, on which it is supported, and the carrier 42 is then connectedwith the first input element, and in this embodiment also connected withlarge internal gear 22 of the principal planetary gear set 20. Theshort, axial support section, coaxially above the input drive shaft 3between the inner disk carrier 42 and the sun gear 22, can beinterpreted as a short, first sun gear shaft 6. The servo apparatus 43of the clutch A is place within the cylindrical shaped outer diskcarrier 40, axially between the disk-shaped section 45 and the innerdisk carrier 42, and activates the disks 41 in the direction the motorshaft 1.

As may be seen in FIG. 32, the clutch B is located directly at that endof the transmission housing 30 proximal to the motor shaft 1.Accordingly, the input element of the clutch B is designed as outer diskcarrier 60, that is, as a cylinder opening in the direction of theprincipal planetary gear set 20. A disk shaped section 65 of the inputelement to the clutch B is connected with the interposed shaft 8 andextends itself parallel to that outer wall of the transmission housing30 adjacent to the motor. The extension continues into the area of thedisks 61 of the clutch B. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer diskcarrier 60 is supported in the area of the connection to the interposedshaft 8, at the outer wall of the transmission housing 30 which wall isclose to the motor. However, the possibility exists, that the outer diskcarrier 60 only, or even additionally, can be supported over theinterposed shaft 8 but on the input drive shaft 3. The servo apparatus63 of the clutch B is placed within the cylindrical outer disk carrier60, axially borders directly on the disk-like section 65 on the sidethereof which is opposite to the motor shaft 1, that is, on that sideproximal to principal planetary gear set 20 and activates the disks 61of the clutch B in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20.In an advantageous manner, then the servo apparatuses 43, 63 of the twoclutches A, B continually rotate with the output speed of rotationn_(vs) of the primary planetary gear set 10.

The disks 101 of the brake C axially attach themselves on the disks 61of the clutch B in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20.The output element of the clutch B serves as an inner disk carrier 62,with a short, at least extensive cylindrical section 66 and a disk-likesection 67. The cylindrical section 66 extends itself axially in thedirection of the principal planetary gear set 20 up to an areaunderneath the disks 101 of the brake C and in that location isconnected with the inner disk carrier 102 of the brake C. The disk-likesection 67 attaches itself to the cylindrical section 66 and extendsitself centrally in the direction of the input drive shaft 3 up tosecond sun gear shaft 7, which run coaxially directly above theinterposed shaft 8. This second sun gear shaft 7 is, first, connected tothe disk-like section 67 of the output element of the clutch B and,second, is connected with the second input element—in this embodiment,also with the small sun gear 21—of the principal planetary gear set 20.Thereby, the second sun gear shaft 7 penetrates the support plate 35 andthe spur gear 9, which place themselves centrally in this axialsuccession in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20 onthe disk-like section 67 of the output element of the clutch B. Theprincipal planetary gear set 20 borders directly on that side of thespur gear 9 which is remote from the motor. Thus, the support plate 35divides the shifting element arrangement from clutch B and brake C,spatially from the spur gear 9 and the neighboring principal planetarygear set 20.

In the twenty-fourth component-arrangement-variant in accordance withFIG. 33 proposed, counter to the previously discussed twenty-thirdcomponent-arrangement-variant as per FIG. 32, that the clutch A not beplaced axially between the principal planetary gear set 20, but belocated directly on the side of the transmission housing 30, which sideis proximal to the motor shaft 1, and when seen in the direction of themotor shaft 1, thus placed in front of the clutch B. Between themotor-proximal outer wall of the transmission housing 30 and the supportplate 35 are also now placed two shifting elements, namely the clutchesA and B. As a result of this, now penetrate four shafts centrallythrough the support plate 36. These four shafts are namely: the inputdrive shaft 3, the interposed shaft 8, the first sun gear shaft 6 andfinally, the second sun gear shaft 7. The enumerated shafts runcoaxially, one above the other and in the given succession. Since theclutch A is placed on that side of the clutch B, which is remote fromthe principal planetary gear set 20, now the first sun gear shaft 6,which binds the output element of the clutch A with the first inputelement of the principal planetary gear set 20, and the sun gear shaft 6now runs coaxially between first, the interposed shaft 8, which connectsthe output element of the primary planetary gear set 10 with the twoinput elements of the clutches A and B, and second, the second sun gearshaft 7, which connects the output element of the clutch B with thesecond input element of the principal planetary gear set 20.

The input element of the clutch A is designed as an outer disk carrier40, now as a cylinder open in a direction toward the motor. A disk-likesection 45 of this input element of the clutch A is bound to theinterposed shaft 8 and extends itself parallel to the outer transmissionhousing wall 30 which runs close to the motor. On a diameter, which isnearly so large as that of the outside diameter of the disks 41 of theclutch A, a cylindrical section 44 of this input element of the clutch Aattaches itself to disk-like section 45 and extends itself in the axialdirection up to the area of the disks 41 and the clutch A. The outerdisk carrier 60 of the clutch B, which is placed next to the clutch A,is bound to the outer disk carrier 40 of the clutch A. Thereby it ispossible to provide, that both outer disk carriers 40, 60 can be made inone piece and/or identical disks can be employed for both clutches A, B.The servo apparatus 43 of the clutch A is placed within the cylindricalouter disk carrier 40 and activates the disks 41 in the direction of theprincipal planetary gear set 20. The inner disk carrier 42 of the clutchA, serving as the output element thereof, is made, for example,considerably very disk shaped and centrally located and bound with thefirst sun gear shaft 6. The servo apparatus 63 of the clutch B isplaced, in the radial direction, underneath the outer disk carrier 60 ofthe clutch B, borders axially against the disk-like inner disk carrier42 of the clutch A—upon that side thereof, which is proximal to theprincipal planetary gear set 20—and activates the disks 61 of the clutchB in the direction of the principal planetary gear set 20.

From the standpoint of production, in an advantageous manner, theproposed arrangement shown in FIG. 33 enables first, the use of aplurality of identical parts for the intended speed of rotation andequally torque-loaded clutches A and B, and second, also a very simpleassembly operation as grouped construction by pre-assembly and ready toinsert components into the transmission housing 30. In regard tofunctionality, advantageously, the servo apparatus 43 of the clutch Arotates continually with the output speed of rotation n_(vs) of theprimary planetary gear set 10.

In another embodiment to FIG. 33, provision can be made, that—with anunchanged arrangement—the input element of the clutch B is to bedesigned not as an outer disk carrier, but rather as an inner diskcarrier, whereby the servo apparatus of the clutch B activates the disksof the clutch B in the direction of the motor shaft, for example, in asimilar manner to FIG. 3. In an effective, technical-functional manner,in this embodiment, the servo apparatuses of both clutches A and Brotate continually with the output speed of rotation n_(vs) of theprimary planetary gear set.

As has previously be described in the embodiment of the fifthcomponent-arrangement-variant in accordance with FIG. 10, it ispossible, in the case of all component-arrangement-variants, where amongthem, the drive shaft 3 fully, axially penetrates the transmission, thedriving motor of the transmission can be placed, very simply, on bothend faces of the transmission housing. Also, with those proposedcomponent-arrangement-variants as given in FIG. 11 to FIG. 17, and FIG.23 to FIG. 31, the input drive shaft 3 does indeed axially penetratecompletely through the transmission. For example, it is also possible toprovide, respectively, other arrangements of thecomponent-arrangement-variant proposals described individually in FIG.11 to FIG. 17, so that the motor shaft 1 need not be placed so as toneighbor the sixth shifting element F, but rather the shaft can beplaced on that side of the multistage transmission on which theprincipal planetary gear set 20 and the clutch E are located, thus, onthat side of the principal planetary gear set 20 which is remote fromthe primary planetary gear set 20 and on that side of the clutch E whichis remote from the principal planetary gear set 20. The acousticadvantages of such an arrangement have already been described above.Obviously, it is possible that the input drive shaft 3 in such a case,must always be of one piece construction.

If, in a case of the previously described ninth to thirteenthcomponent-arrangement-variant as set forth in FIG. 18 to FIG. 22, theinnermost shaft of the multistage transmission is designed as a hollowshaft, then it is possible, with such an arrangement, that the motorshaft 1—thus the drive of the transmission—can be placed on a sideopposite to that shown in the applicable figures.

All of the previously described component-arrangement-variants relate tothe first invented, primary, planetary gear set variant, wherein the sungear of the primary planetary gear set can be shifted.

In FIG. 34 is presented an exemplary, schematic presentation of thesecond primary, planetary gear set variant, wherein with the primary,planetary gear set, the coupled spiders thereof can be shifted. Up tothe connection of the components of the primary, planetary gear set 10,the component arrangement represents the embodiment essentially given inthe previously described multistage transmission as shown by FIG. 3.

In accordance with the invention, the primary, planetary gear set 10 isdesigned as a shiftable, plus-transmission with inner and outer planetgears 12 and 13, the spiders 15, 16 of which are securely boundtogether. Thus, the sun gear 11 of the primary, planetary gear set 10serves as the input element thereof and is bound with the drive shaft 3,and the internal gear 14 of the primary, planetary gear set 10, servesas the output element thereof and is bound, respectively, with the inputelements of the first and the second shifting elements A, B. Further,the coupled spiders 15, 16 of the primary, planetary gear set 10 areimmobilized by the sixth shifting element F serving as a brake whichabuts on the transmission housing 30. As in the case of the previousembodiments, the output speed of rotation is n_(vs), which, by the twoshifting elements serving as clutches A, B this rotational speed can betransferred to two non-connected input elements (in the illustratedexample, the small and the large sun gears 21, 22) of the principalplanetary gear set 20. The spatial arrangement of the individualcomponents involved therein represents the same arrangement, which hasalready been explained in FIG. 3.

The brake F is spatially placed between the motor side of thetransmission wall 31 and the primary, planetary gear set 10. Thetransmission wall 31 and the brake F are also located on that side ofthe multistage transmission which is proximal to the motor shaft 1, thatis, the torsion damper 2. The inner disk carrier 82 of the brake F issupported on the projection 33, which extends itself in the direction ofthe primary, planetary gear set 10 which projection extends itself fromthe transmission housing wall 31. In other words, the disk carrier 82 ofthe brake F is affixed to a hub protruding from the housing wall 31. Inaccordance with the invention, the inner disk carrier 82 of the brake Fis now connected with the coupled spiders 15, 16 of the primary,planetary gear set 10. The setting of the outer disk carrier 40 of theclutch A, as the input element thereof—again as in FIG. 3—is placed in aradial direction below the location of the inner disk carrier 82 of thebrake F on the projection 33, i.e., the hub. The inner disk carrier 82of the brake F is placed in an axial direction between the transmissionhousing wall 31 and the primary, planetary gear set 10. There is noneed, at this point, to enter into a detailed description of theformation and the arrangement of the other components of the multistagetransmission in accordance with FIG. 34 and such a description isaccordingly omitted.

The advantages of such an arrangement of the individual componentsrelative to one another have already been described and explained in thedescription of FIG. 3.

As has been accomplished in the case of the multistage transmission withthe first primary, planetary gear set variant, consideration should alsobe granted to the multistage transmission as presented in FIG. 34 inregard to the design of the principal planetary gear set and thecomponent arrangement as a major example. Obviously, it is also possiblethat other planetary gear set combinations, wherein the output speed ofrotation n_(vs) of the primary planetary gear set can be transferred bymeans of two shifting elements to two free input elements of theprincipal planetary gear set and the transmission input speed ofrotation n_(ein) can be transferred to a third free input element of theprincipal planetary gear set 20, as a principal planetary gear set 20can be combined with the given gear set-scheme in accordance with FIG.34. Likewise, it is also possible, that combined, proposed componentarrangements of the shifting elements, as put forth in FIGS. 3 to 33,can be combined with the gear set arrangement of FIG. 34. Obviously,another possibility is that the proposed variants of assembly as shownin FIGS. 9 to 33 of a spur gear can be combined with the gear setarrangement of FIG. 34. Instead of the coaxial arrangement of inputdrive, primary planetary gear set and principal planetary gear set, itis possible that also a straight line, or an angular disposition, oreven a parallel connection between the primary planetary gear set andthe principal planetary gear set can be provided.

As in the case of the multistage transmission with the first primary,planetary gear set variant, also with the invented multistagetransmission shown in FIG. 34, the input speed of rotation n_(ein) ofthe input drive shaft 3, by means of selective closure of the shiftingelements A to F can be so transferred to the rotating output drive shaft4, which is rotating at a speed of n_(ab), that at least six forwardstages can be achieved without group-shifting. In FIG. 35 is acorresponding shifting logic of the multistage transmission inaccordance with FIG. 34, wherein seven forward speeds are presented, aswell as the thereto pertaining ratios, stage-stepping, and totalspreads. Likewise presented in FIG. 34 are the still-ratios of theindividual gear sets RS1, RS2 and RS3, whereby, with RS1 the singleplanetary gear set of the primary, planetary gear set 10 and with RS2,RS3 the single planetary gear sets of the multi-component principalplanetary gear set 20 are defined. Compared to the multistagetransmissions described in FIGS. 1 to 33, with a shiftable (by means ofthe sun gear) plus-primary, planetary gear set, the proposed secondprimary, planetary gear set variant with shiftable, coupled spiders, anotable clearly increased spread is made possible, with unchanged, morefavorable gear-stage stepping of all seven forward stages. By means of asimple omission of the direct stage, also a six stage transmission canbe made available, similar to the first invented primary, planetary gearset variant.

Reference Numerals

-   A, B, C, D, E, F Shifting elements, i.e. clutches/brakes-   n_(ein) Speed of rotation of transmission input-   n_(vs) Speed of rotation of item 10, i.e., primary planetary gear    set-   n_(ab) Speed of rotation of final output drive shaft 4    -   1 Drive shaft from motor    -   2 Torsion damper, torque converter    -   3 Input drive shaft to transmission    -   4 Output shaft from transmission    -   5 Third shaft    -   6 First sun gear shaft    -   7 Second sun gear shaft    -   8 Interposed shaft    -   9 Spur gear    -   10 Primary planetary gear set (shiftable)    -   11 Sun gear of 10    -   12 Inner planetary gear of 10    -   13 Outer planetary gear of 10    -   14 Internal gear of 10    -   15 Spider of 12    -   16 Spider of 13    -   17 Output element, disk-like in shape, coacts with 14    -   18 Cylindrical output element of 14    -   20 Principal planetary gear set (4 shafts-Ravigneaux design)    -   21 Small sun gear of 20    -   22 Large sun gear of 20    -   23 First planet gear of 20    -   24 Second planet gear of 20    -   25 Spider of 23    -   26 Spider of 24    -   27 Internal gear of 20    -   28 Output shaft of 20    -   30 Transmission housing    -   31 Transmission housing wall    -   32 Intermediate plate    -   33 Projection, an extension protruding from 31    -   34 Hub assembly    -   35 Support plate    -   36 Cover for housing    -   37 Second support plate    -   38 Third support plate    -   39 Cylinder of the transmission housing    -   40 Outer disk carrier of the clutch A    -   41 Disks 41 of clutch A    -   42 Inner disk carrier of the clutch A    -   43 Servo Apparatus for the clutch A    -   44 Cylindrical section of the input element of the clutch A    -   45 Section (disk-like) of 44    -   46 Cylindrical section of the output element of the clutch A    -   47 Section (disk-like) of the output element of the clutch A    -   48 Piston of the clutch A    -   49 Reset spring for the piston of the clutch A    -   50 Baffle plate related to clutch A    -   51 Piston space of clutch A    -   52 Pressure compensation chamber of the clutch A    -   60 Outer disk carrier of the clutch B    -   61 Disks of clutch B    -   62 Inner disk carrier of the clutch B    -   63 Servo apparatus (clutch B)    -   64 Section (cylindrical) of the input element of the clutch B    -   65 Section (disk-like) of the input element of the clutch B    -   66 Cylindrical section of the output element of the clutch B    -   67 Disk-like section of the output element of the clutch B    -   70 Outer Disk carrier of the clutch E    -   71 Disks of clutch E    -   72 Inner disk carrier of the clutch E    -   73 Servo apparatus of the clutch E    -   74 Cylindrical section of the input element of the clutch E    -   75 Disk-like section of the input element of the clutch E    -   76 Cylindrical section of the output element of the clutch E    -   77 Disk-like section of the output element of the clutch E    -   80 Outer disk carrier of the brake F    -   81 Disks (Brake F)    -   82 Inner disk carrier (brake F)    -   83 Servo apparatus for the brake F    -   84 Disk-like section of the inner disk carrier of the brake F    -   85 Sun gear shaft of the primary planetary gear set 10    -   86 Pressure medium channel of the brake F    -   87 Piston of the brake F    -   88 Reset spring of the piston of the brake F    -   89 Support binding for the hub projection for the reset spring        of brake    -   90 Piston chamber for the brake F    -   100 Outer disk carrier of the brake C    -   101 Disks for the brake C    -   102 Inner disk carrier (Brake C)    -   103 Cylindrical section of the inner disk carrier of the brake C    -   104 Disk-like section of the inner disk carrier of the brake C    -   105 Servo apparatus of the brake C    -   111 Disks of the brake D    -   112 Inner disk carrier for the brake D    -   113 Cylindrical section of the inner disk carrier of the brake D    -   114 Disk-like section of the inner disk carrier of the brake D

1-72. (canceled)
 73. A multistage transmission with an input drive shaft(3), which is connected to a primary planetary gear set (10), with anoutput drive shaft (4), which is connected with a principal planetaryger set (20), with a plurality of shifting elements (A to F), by meansof which, selective closure of at least six forward stages can beshifted to and a transmission input speed of rotation (n_(ein)) of theinput drive shaft (3), which is so transferable to the output driveshaft (4), that for shifting from one stage into a next highersuccessive stage or a next lower successive stage from an existingactivated shifting element, respectively, only one shifting element isopened and another shifting element is closed, whereby the principalplanetary gear set (20) possesses three non-coupled input elements, oneoutput element of the primary planetary gear set (10) by means of afirst shifting element (A) can be connected with a first input elementof the principal planetary gear set (20) and by means of which a secondshifting element (B) can be connected with a second input element of theprincipal planetary gear set (20), further, the input drive shaft (3)can be connected by means of a fifth shifting element (E) with a thirdinput element of the principal planetary gear set (20) and an element ofthe primary planetary gear set (10) by means of a sixth shifting element(F) fixed in position, whereby the sixth shifting element (F) is securedon a side of the primary planetary gear set (10) which is remote fromthe principal planetary gear set (20) wherein the primary planetary gearset (10) serves as a plus-transmission with inner and outer planet gears(12, 13), spiders (15, 16) of which are bound together.
 74. Themultistage transmission according to claim 73, wherein the coupledspiders (15, 16) of the primary planetary gear set (10) are bound to theinput shaft (3), an internal gear (14) of the primary planetary gear set(10) can be connected to the first and the second input elements of theprincipal planetary gear set (20), a sun gear (11) of the primaryplanetary gear set (10) can be affixed by means of the sixth shiftingelement (F).
 75. The multistage transmission according to claim 73,wherein a sun gear (11) of the primary planetary gear set (10) isconnected to the input drive shaft (3), an internal gear (14) of theprimary planetary gear set (10) can be connected with the first and thesecond input element of the principal planetary gear set (20) and thecoupled spiders (15, 16) of the primary planetary gear set (10) can beaffixed by the sixth shifting element (F).
 76. The multistagetransmission according to claim 73, wherein the sixth shifting element(F) is placed in an axial direction bordering on a transmission housingwall (31), upon one of a projection (33) of the transmission housingwall (31) or on a hub (34) immovably affixed to the transmission housingwall (31), whereby the transmission housing wall (31) is designed as oneof a part of the transmission housing (30) or as an interposed plate(32) securely affixed to the transmission housing (30).
 77. Themultistage transmission according to claim 76 wherein at least onepressure medium channel (86) for a pressurized means feed to a servoapparatus (83) of the sixth shifting element (F) is placed in one ormore of the projection (33) of the transmission housing wall (31), thehub (34) and in the transmission housing wall (31), the interposed plate(32) and in the transmission housing (30) in spatial proximity to theservo apparatus (83) of the sixth shifting element (F).
 78. Themultistage transmission according to claim 76, wherein the transmissionhousing wall (31) is placed at an end of the transmission housing (30),which is proximal to a motor shaft (1) of a drive motor of themultistage transmission.
 79. The multistage transmission according toclaim 76, wherein the transmission housing wall (31) is placed on oneend of the transmission housing (30), which lies opposite to a motorshaft (1) of a drive motor of the multistage transmission.
 80. Themultistage transmission according to claim 76, wherein a disk-likesection of an inner disk carrier (82) of the sixth shifting element (F)is placed directly contiguous to one of the transmission housing wall(31) and the interposed plate (32).
 81. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 76, wherein a servo apparatus (83) for a activationof the sixth shifting element (F) is placed immediately neighboring toone of the transmission housing wall (31), to the interposed plate (32)or is integrated in one of the transmission housing wall (31) into theinterposed plate (32).
 82. The multistage transmission according toclaim 76, wherein a servo apparatus (83) of the sixth shifting element(F) is placed, in the axial direction, between one of the transmissionhousing wall (31), or the interposed plate (32) and the primaryplanetary gear set (10).
 83. The multistage transmission according toclaim 76, wherein a servo apparatus (83) of the sixth shifting element(F) activates disks (81) of the sixth shifting element (F) in one of acounter direction toward the transmission housing wall (31), and in acounter direction to the interposed plate (32).
 84. The multistagetransmission according to claim 76, wherein a servo apparatus (83) ofthe sixth shifting element (F) activates disks (81) of the sixthshifting element (F) in a direction toward the transmission housing wall(31), that is, toward the interposed plate (32).
 85. The multistagetransmission according to claim 76, wherein a servo apparatus (83) ofthe sixth shifting element (F) is placed, in axial direction, betweenthe transmission housing wall (31), that is the interposed plate (32)and a second servo apparatus (43) for a activation of the first shiftingelement (A), whereby, a disk-like section of an inner disk carrier (82)of the sixth shifting element (F) borders directly on the transmissionhousing wall (31), that is, on the interposed plate (32).
 86. Themultistage transmission according to claim 85, wherein one or more ofthe second servo apparatus (43) and disks (41) of the first shiftingelement (A) are at least partially placed on a side of the primaryplanetary gear set (10), which is remote from the principal planetarygear set (20).
 87. The multistage transmission according to claim 76,wherein the servo apparatus (83) of the sixth shifting element (F) isplaced, in the axial direction, between the transmission housing wall(31), that is, the interposed plate (32) and a servo apparatus (63) forthe activation of the second shifting element (B).
 88. The multistagetransmission according to claim 87, wherein a third servo apparatus (63)for activation of a second shifting element (B) is placed on a side ofthe primary planetary gear set (10) which is remote from the principalplanetary gear set (20).
 89. The multistage transmission according toclaim 73, wherein disks (81) of the sixth shifting element (F) are of agreater diameter than is an internal gear (14) of the primary planetarygear set (10).
 90. The multistage transmission according to 73, whereinthe sixth shifting element (F) is designed as a start-shifting elementof the multistage transmission.
 91. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 73, wherein an output element of a first shiftingelement (A) bypasses a fifth shifting element (E) in an axial direction,especially disks (71) of the fifth shifting element (E).
 92. Themultistage transmission according to claim 73, wherein disks (41) of thefirst shifting element (A) are placed at one or more of at leastpartially radially above the primary planetary gear set (10) and atleast partially radially above disks (71) of the fifth shifting element(E).
 93. The multistage transmission according to claim 73, wherein anoutput element of the first shifting element (A) at least partiallypenetrates a clutch space of the second shifting element (B).
 94. Themultistage transmission according to claim 91, wherein the firstshifting element (A) is placed in greater proximity to the sixthshifting element (F) than the second shifting element (B), especially inthat at least one of disks (41) and a servo apparatus (43) of the firstshifting element (A) are placed nearer to a servo apparatus (83) of thesixth shifting element (F) than are disks (61) of the second shiftingelement (B).
 95. The multistage transmission according to claim 91,wherein on a side of the first shifting element (A) which is proximal tothe principal planetary gear set (20), the second shifting element (B)is placed axially next to the first shifting element (A), especially inthat on a side of the disks (41) which is proximal to the principalplanetary gear set (20) of the first shifting element (A), disks (61) ofthe second shifting element (B) are placed axially next to disks (41) ofthe first shifting element (A).
 96. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 91, wherein one or more of the disks (41) and theservo apparatus (43) of the first shifting element (A) are placed atleast partially radially underneath disks (81) of the sixth shiftingelement (F).
 97. The multistage transmission according to claim 96,wherein the servo apparatus (43) of the first shifting element (A) isplaced axially beside the primary planetary gear set (10).
 98. Themultistage transmission according to claim 91, wherein the fifthshifting element (E) is placed between the primary and the principalplanetary gear sets (10, 20), bordering in an axial direction on theprimary planetary gear set (10), whereby, especially the disks (71) ofthe fifth shifting element (E) at least partially are placed radiallybeneath disks (61) of the second shifting element (B).
 99. Themultistage transmission according to claim 73, wherein an output elementof the second shifting element (B) at least partially bypasses the firstshifting element (A) in the axial direction, especially disks (41) ofthe first shifting element (A).
 100. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 99, wherein the second shifting element (B) is placednearer to the sixth shifting element (F) than the first shifting element(A), especially in that one or more of disks (61) and a servo apparatus(63) of the second shifting element (B) is nearer to a servo apparatus(83) of the sixth shifting element (F) than are the disks (41) of thefirst shifting element (A).
 101. The multistage transmission accordingto claim 99, wherein on a side of the second shifting element (B) whichis proximal to the principal planetary gear set (20), the first shiftingelement (A) is placed axially next to the second shifting element (B),especially in that on a side of the of the disks (61) of the secondshifting element (B), which said side is proximal to the principalplanetary gear set (20), the disks (41) of the first shifting element(A) are placed axially beside the disks (61) of the second shiftingelement (B).
 102. The multistage transmission according to claim 99,wherein disks (61) of the second shifting element (B) are placed atleast partially above the primary planetary gear set (10).
 103. Themultistage transmission according to claim 99, wherein one or more ofdisks (61) and a servo apparatus (63) of the second shifting element (B)are placed at least partially radially beneath disks (81) of the sixthshifting element (F).
 104. The multistage transmission according toclaim 99, wherein disks (61) of the second shifting element (B) areplaced at least partially radially above disks (71) of the fifthshifting element (E).
 105. The multistage transmission according toclaim 103, wherein the servo apparatus (63) of the second shiftingelement (B) is placed axially next to the primary planetary gear set(10).
 106. The multistage transmission according to claim 99, whereinthe fifth shifting element (E) is placed between the primary and theprincipal planetary gear sets (10, 20), in an axial direction borderingon the primary planetary gear set (10), whereby especially disks (71) ofthe fifth shifting element (E) are placed at least partially radiallybeneath the disks (41) of the first shifting element (A).
 107. Themultistage transmission according to claim 73, wherein an input elementof the fifth shifting element (E) at least partially bypasses the firstshifting element (A) in the axial direction, especially disks (41) ofthe first shifting element (A).
 108. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 73, wherein an input element of the fifth shiftingelement (E) of the second shifting element (B), in an axial direction,at least radially, partially bypasses, disks (61) of the second shiftingelement (B).
 109. The multistage transmission according to claim 107,wherein the fifth shifting element (E) is placed, in axial direction,between the primary and the principal planetary gear sets (10, 20), moreproximal to the principal planetary gear set (20) than the first andsecond shifting element (A, B).
 110. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 107, wherein the fifth shifting element (E) isplaced, in axial direction, between the primary planetary gear set (10)and the principal planetary gear set (20), bordering the primaryplanetary gear set (10).
 111. The multistage transmission according toclaim 73, wherein an output element of the fifth shifting element (E)bypasses the first shifting element (A) in axial direction, especiallydisks (41) of the first shifting element (A).
 112. The multistagetransmission according to claim 111, wherein the first and the fifthshifting element (A, E) are placed on a side of the principal planetarygear set (20) which is remote from the primary planetary gear set (10),whereby, one or more of the first shifting element (A) and the disks(41) are placed axially between the fifth shifting element (E) and theprincipal planetary gear set (20).
 113. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 111, wherein the first shifting element (A) is placedbetween the primary and the principal planetary gear sets (10, 20), andin that the fifth shifting element (E) is placed on a side of the firstshifting element (A) which is remote from the principal planetary gearset (20).
 114. The multistage transmission according to claim 73,wherein the fifth shifting element (E) is placed at least partially, ina radial direction, above the primary planetary gear set (10), disks(71) of the fifth shifting element (E) are placed at least partiallyabove the primary planetary gear set (10).
 115. The multistagetransmission according to claim 114, wherein a servo apparatus (73) foractivation of the fifth shifting element (E) is placed on a side of theprimary planetary gear set (10) which is remote from the principalplanetary gear set (20), especially bordering on the primary planetarygear set (10).
 116. The multistage transmission according to claim 73,wherein the first shifting element (A) is placed on a side of theprimary planetary gear set (10) which is remote from the principalplanetary gear set (20) and the fifth shifting element (E) is placed ona side of the principal planetary gear set (20) which is remote from theprimary planetary gear set (10).
 117. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 73, wherein disks (41) of the first shifting element(A) are axially placed between disks (71) of the fifth shifting element(E) and the principal planetary gear set (20), bordering on the disks(71) of the fifth shifting element (E).
 118. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 117, wherein the disks (41) of the first shiftingelement (A) border, in the axial direction, the principal planetary gearset (20).
 119. The multistage transmission according to claim 73,wherein the fifth shifting element (E) is placed on a side of theprincipal planetary gear set (20) which is remote from the primaryplanetary gear set (10).
 120. The multistage transmission according toclaim 119, wherein the input drive shaft (3) is penetratively conductedcentrally through the principal planetary gear set (20).
 121. Themultistage transmission according to claim 119, wherein the fifthshifting element (E) borders, in axial direction, directly on theprincipal planetary gear set (20).
 122. The multistage transmissionaccording to claim 73, wherein the third input element of the principalplanetary gear set (20), by means of a third shaft (5) is connected toan output element of the fifth shifting element (E), and in that thefirst input element of the principal planetary gear set (20), by meansof a first sun gear shaft (6) is connected to an output element of thefirst shifting element (A), the second input element of the principalplanetary gear set (20), by means of a second sun gear shaft (7) isconnected with an output element of the second shifting element (B),whereby the third shaft (5) penetrates centrally through the principalplanetary gear set (20) and whereby the first sun gear shaft (6) one ormore of runs between the primary and the principal planetary gear sets(10, 20) coaxially above the third shaft (5) and is positioned on thesame, and whereby the second sun gear shaft (7) one or more of runsbetween the primary and the principal planetary gear sets (10, 20)coaxially above the first sun gear shaft (6) and is positioned on thesame.
 123. The multistage transmission according to claim 73, whereinthe input drive shaft (3) is conducted penetratively through the primaryplanetary gear set (10) and through the principal planetary gear set(20), the output element of the first shifting element (A), by means ofa first sun gear shaft (6) is bound to the first input element of theprincipal planetary gear set (20), the output element of the secondshifting element (B), by means of a second sun gear shaft (7) isconnected with the second input element of the principal planetary gearset (20), whereby the first sun gear shaft (6) runs between the primaryand the principal planetary gear sets (10, 20) and one or more ofcoaxially above the input drive shaft (3) and is positioned thereon, andwhereby the second sun gear shaft (7) runs between the primary and theprincipal planetary gear sets (10, 20) and one or more of coaxiallyabove the first sun gear shaft (6) and is positioned upon the same. 124.The multistage transmission according to claim 122, wherein the secondsun gear shaft (7), is affixed by means of a support plate (35), whichone or more of securely affixed to or is constructed as a part of thetransmission housing (30).
 125. The multistage transmission according toclaim 73, wherein the third input element of the principal planetarygear set (20), by means of a third shaft (5), is connected with anoutput element of the fifth shifting element (E), and the first inputelement of the principal planetary gear set (20), by means of a firstsun gear shaft (6) is connected with an output element of the firstshifting element (A), the second input element of the principalplanetary gear set (20), by means of a second sun gear shaft (7) isconnected with an output element of the second shifting element (B),whereby the second sun gear shaft (7) is penetratively conductedcentrally through the principal planetary gear set (20), and whereby thefirst sun gear shaft (6) runs between the primary and the principalplanetary gear sets (10, 20) coaxially above the second sun gear shaft(7), and whereby the third shaft (5) runs between the primary and theprincipal planetary gear sets (10, 20) and one or more of coaxiallyabove the first sun gear shaft (6) and is positioned thereon.
 126. Themultistage transmission according to claim 125, wherein the third shaft(5) is affixed by means of a support plate (35), which is firmly securedto the transmission housing (30) or the plate is a part thereof. 127.The multistage transmission according to claim 125, wherein the thirdshifting element (C), by means of which the second input element of theprincipal planetary gear set (20) is fixed, is placed upon a side of theprincipal planetary gear set (20) which is remote from the primaryplanetary gear set (10) especially bordering on an outer transmissionhousing wall (30) which lies opposite to the transmission wall (31) anda drive motor.
 128. The multistage transmission according to claim 73,wherein the principal planetary gear set (20) is designed as aRavigneaux planetary gear set, with a small sun gear (21) serving as thefirst input element and a large sun gear (22) serving as the secondinput element, and further having coupled spiders (25, 26) as a thirdinput element, as well as having an internal gear (27) as an outputelement of the principal planetary gear set (20).
 129. The multistagetransmission according to claim 74, wherein the internal gear (14) ofthe primary planetary gear set (10) is connected with an outer diskcarrier (40) of the first shifting element (A) and is connected with anouter disk carrier (60) of the second shifting element (B).
 130. Themultistage transmission according to claim 74, wherein the internal gear(14) of the primary planetary gear set (10) is connected with an outerdisk carrier (40) of the first shifting element (A) and with an innerdisk carrier (52) of the second shifting element (B).
 131. Themultistage transmission according to claim 73, wherein the internal gear(14) of the primary planetary gear set (10) is connected with an innerdisk carrier (42) of the first shifting element (A) to an outer diskcarrier (60) of the second shifting element (B).
 132. The multistagetransmission according to claim 74, wherein the internal gear (14) ofthe primary planetary gear set (10) is connected with an inner diskcarrier (42) of the first shifting element (A) and with an inner diskcarrier (52) of the second shifting element (B).
 133. The multistagetransmission according to claim 73, wherein the input drive shaft (3)and the output drive shaft (4) run coaxially to one another.
 134. Themultistage transmission according to claim 73, wherein the input driveshaft (3) and the output drive shaft (4) run approximately axis-parallelwith one another.
 135. The multistage transmission according to claim73, wherein the input rive shaft (3) and the output drive shaft (4) areapproximately at right angles to one another.
 136. The multistagetransmission according to claim 134, wherein in the power flow betweenthe output element of the principal planetary gear set (20) and one orthe output shaft (4), a spur gear (9) and a bevel gear intervenes. 137.The multistage transmission according to claim 136, wherein the spurgear (9)/bevel gear is placed on that side of the principal planetarygear set (20) which is remote from the primary planetary gear set (10).138. The multistage transmission according to claim 136, wherein thespur gear (9)/bevel gear is placed between the primary and the principalplanetary gear sets (10, 20).
 139. The multistage transmission accordingto claim 136, wherein the spur gear (9)/bevel gear borders directly onthe principal planetary gear set (20) in an axial direction.
 140. Themultistage transmission according to claim 136, wherein the fifthshifting element (E) is axially placed between the spur gear (9)/bevelgear and the principal planetary gear set (20), whereby the outputelement of the principal planetary gear set (20) radially bypasses thefifth shifting element (E).
 141. The multistage transmission accordingto claim 136, wherein the spur gear (9)/bevel gear, is carried by meansof a support plate (35, 37) which is one of securely affixed to thetransmission housing (30) or serves as a part of the transmissionhousing 30 and borders on the spur gear (9)/bevel gear in the axialdirection, whereby the support plate (35, 37) is placed on a side of thespur gear (9)/bevel gear which is remote from the principal planetarygear set (20), and borders on a disk-like section of the output elementof the second shifting element (B), which is one or more of bound to thesecond sun gear shaft (7), and borders on a third shifting element (C),by means of which the output element of the second shifting element (B)is fixed in position.
 142. The multistage transmission according toclaim 136, wherein the spur gear (9)/bevel gear, is held in position bymeans of a support plate (35), which is securely bound to thetransmission housing (30) or is a part thereof, and borders the spurgear (9)/bevel gear in the axial direction, whereby the said supportplate (35) is placed on a side of the spur gear (9)/bevel gear which isdistal from the principal planetary gear set (20), while bordering on adisk-like section of the output element of the fifth shifting element(E), which is one or more of connected with the third shaft (5) andbordering on a fourth shifting element (D) by means of which the outputelement of the fifth shifting element (E) is fixed in its position. 143.The multistage transmission according to claim 135, wherein the spurgear (9)/bevel gear, is held in position by means of a support plate(35), which is one of securely fixed to the transmission housing (30) oris a part thereof, and borders on the spur gear (9)/bevel gear in theaxial direction, whereby the support plate (35) is placed axiallybetween the principal planetary gear set (20) and the spur gear(9)/bevel gear.
 144. The multistage transmission according to claim 135,wherein the spur gear (9)/bevel gear is held in position by a supportplate (35, 37), which is securely bound to the transmission housing (30)or is a part thereof and further borders on the said spur gear (9)/bevelgear in the axial direction, whereby the support plate (35, 37), isplaced upon that side of the spur gear (9)/bevel gear which is remotefrom the principal planetary gear set (20) and forms an outer wall ofthe transmission housing (30).